However, the court saw no misleading of consumers when the vehicles’ CO2 emissions were stated as zero grams.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin German consumer advocates have reached the district court in Berlin that the electric car manufacturer Tesla changes the advertising to the so-called “guard mode” of its cars. With the function, parked Teslas use a camera to survey their surroundings to identify possible threats.
Data protectionists have been criticizing the “sentinel mode” for some time, since the consent of passers-by is not obtained for recordings. In Berlin, the Federal Association of Consumer Centers and Consumer Associations (VZBV) stated that consumers “could not have used the mode without massive data protection violations”.
“You risked a fine if the mode was activated.” This information was missing in the advertisement for the function. Tesla has issued a cease-and-desist declaration and is no longer allowed to advertise in this way.
On Tuesday, the user manual on the German Tesla website warned customers about “sentinel mode”: “You are solely responsible for checking and complying with all local regulations and proprietary rights regarding the use of cameras.”
At the same time, consumer advocates failed in their attempt to force Tesla to change statements about the environmental friendliness of its vehicles. The district court of Berlin dismissed the corresponding action by the VZBV.
In the lawsuit, the VZBV also denounced the fact that Tesla states the CO2 emissions of its vehicles as zero grams. They pointed out that the group sells CO2 certificates to other manufacturers, which could increase their emissions as a result.
The court did not see this as misleading the consumer. For them, this is not essential information when buying a vehicle, because they wanted to “purchase a vehicle that emits as little CO2 as possible”.
The association intends to appeal the verdict. Tesla initially did not comment on the outcome of the case.
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