Tesla passes data security tests in China, restrictions further lifted

U.S. automaker Tesla passed four data security tests in China, it was revealed on Sunday. 

The news was announced in statements issued on the websites of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China.

According to the statements, Tesla's electric vehicles (EV) Model 3 and Model Y qualified in four data security tests: the anonymization of facial information and other information outside of the vehicle, no collection of cockpit data by default, in-vehicle processing of cockpit data, and explicit notification of the processing of personal information.

Chinese digital newspaper The Paper cited Tesla's response to the news, saying that it helps lift all the bans in the country on Tesla vehicles' parking and driving, for example, in government buildings, airports, on highways, etc.

Reports show that in March 2021, data security concerns on Tesla resulted in the EV's entry bans in areas considered important and sensitive in China. Since then, incidents of Tesla cars being stopped at the parking lots of government buildings, airports, or the entrances of highways, have taken place from time to time.

Data collection and training has become essential to EVs' evolution into more intelligent and customized tools. For example, cars often have to gather data on users' driving habits to anticipate needs.

In recent years, Chinese authorities have been trying to strike a balance between data security and the auto industry's development.

According to Chinese media Caixin, besides lifting the bans, Tesla is looking forward to seeing its FSD (Full-Self Driving) - a key to Tesla's vision of future fully autonomous cars - operating in China.

Tesla rolled out FSD four years ago, but has yet to make it available in China, its second-largest market globally after the U.S.

On the other hand, accidents involving Tesla's autopilot system have raised the concerns of U.S. auto safety regulators.

U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Friday that they had opened an investigation into whether Tesla's recall of more than 2 million vehicles in the country announced in December to install new Autopilot safeguards was adequate following a series of crashes.

The test result was announced on the same day that Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Beijing.

During that meeting, Li told Musk that China's huge market will always be open to foreign-funded enterprises.

Tesla has sold more than 1.7 million cars in China since it entered the market a decade ago and its Shanghai factory is its largest globally.

(Cover image via CFP)