A man claims his mother’s abusive husband forced her to buy a Tesla so he could use the electric vehicle’s security features to track her every move.
In a letter to The Barefoot Investor’s financial advisor, the man said “abusers” were taking advantage of a Tesla app by accessing information about where the cars were driven.
“My mother has been stuck in a controlling marriage for several years, and her abuser recently forced her to trade her VW for a Tesla,” he wrote.
‘Basically a gigantic camera on wheels.
“It tracks where she goes, watches Tesla’s security footage and can even see how many doors are opened during the day.”
A man claims his mother’s abusive husband forced her to buy a Tesla so he could use the electric vehicle’s security features to track her every move. Stock image
The man, Mick, said he had tried to help his mother get out of the relationship, “and now she doesn’t even have the privacy of a car if she does pull the trigger to leave.”
“So far, Tesla and other manufacturers have resisted all efforts to hold them accountable for the abuse they enable – what a bunch of grubs.”
Scott Pape, the Barefoot Investor, said he would give his own mother whatever she needed to get her out of such a relationship and used Mick’s letter to criticize Tesla’s multi-billionaire CEO Elon Musk.
“I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve given me another reason to hate Elon Musk,” he wrote.
“The fact is, with so much of our lives connected to devices, it has never been easier to stalk (or abuse) someone.”
Like many Tesla vehicles, the latest Model Y includes phone integration with the Tesla app that allows the driver to unlock the car remotely from their phone.
Phone integration also allows the owner to grant access to a second driver, who can also monitor the car remotely from their phone.
Through the Tesla app, drivers can track the whereabouts of a car, including whether it is on the road or parked
Through the Tesla app, drivers can track the whereabouts of a car, including whether it is on the road or parked.
They can unlock their car and put it into ‘sentry mode’, which records via internal and external cameras and even monitor what music the driver is listening to.
The car’s climate control system is also visible through the app, allowing a spouse with access to see if someone is using the heat or air conditioning on a particular seat in the car.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tesla for comment.
The Barefoot Investor correspondent’s claims follow a Tesla owner who cheats on his wife and discovers that his adultery can be revealed to his spouse on the vehicle’s app.
The man shared his findings online, noting in a post on Reddit that his wife could theoretically see where he was driving, how fast he was going, where he parked the car and whether anyone else was in the car with him.
Although the imposter had not yet been caught, he told DailyMail.com that he was warning of the risks “to make others aware.”
The post received more than 140 comments, with one Reddit user suggesting he turn off cell service or simply block his wife from accessing the app, while others told the cheater to be faithful to his wife.
Like many Tesla vehicles, the latest Model Y includes phone integration with the Tesla app that allows the driver to unlock the car remotely from their phone
“Tesla is killing my OPSEC,” the adulterer wrote.
“Opsec” is military intelligence abbreviation for “operational security,” meaning the steps you take to ensure an enemy doesn’t learn your tactics.
The Redditor shared: ‘If you’re interested in buying a Tesla, keep in mind that your partner can see your location in the Tesla app, as well as how fast you’re driving, whether you’re parked, where you’re parked and even where you sit in the damn car with a heat map in case you’re hoping to turn up the temperature in the backseat.”
“Cars are getting too smart these days,” he concluded.
The Tesla two-timer wasn’t caught because of the car’s features, but he recently noticed that this was possible and decided to post about it to warn others in the ‘r/adultery’ subreddit.
‘I can’t say I was surprised. It’s packed with technical features, but I thought it might not work for someone who needs more discretion,” he told DailyMail.com.
When asked if he is someone who needs such discretion, he replied: “I don’t need it in the same way as I need water to drink, food to eat and air to breathe, but in retrospect I would prefer to give.’
The poster read Agitated_Sugar_7738: it’s a man in his 40s driving a 2024 Model Y.
One Redditor gave some advice to the cheating husband, saying he could turn off the cell connection and blame technical issues.
And since many Tesla Supercharger stations are located in hotels, they could say they were just in a hotel because they needed an electrical outlet.
The Tesla app allows a spouse to remotely monitor the location and speed of their partner’s car, alerting them of any unexpected outings
Tesla owners can remotely activate ‘sentry mode’, which turns on cameras both inside and outside the car
Tesla came under fire last year when whistleblowers revealed that the vehicles’ external cameras could record video in people’s garages when the car was parked and charging.
Employees shared videos with each other and received rewards and professional consideration for sharing the funniest clips.
‘We could see them doing laundry and doing very intimate things. We could see their children,” the staffer said. According to the report, the camera was able to capture people’s lives because it was charging.
The post generated a lot of discussion about how to successfully cheat on your partner, with or without Tesla.
‘Take the bus. Or an Uber. This is not a complicated problem,” one commenter responded.
“If you can’t figure out a solution to this relatively minor problem yourself (with an incredibly simple solution), then you’re not smart enough to have an affair.” You will absolutely make a mistake somewhere or forget something obvious and then get caught,” they continued.
Others offered solutions that were more tech-heavy, suggesting that the car’s monitoring technology could be seen as an advantage to someone who would commit adultery.
“You can use it to your advantage too,” another commenter replied. ‘If (significant other) takes the car, (you) can, with a little home automation, receive an alarm when they drive back. This way you have enough free, safe time at another location.’
Many commenters weren’t so solution-oriented: “That’s completely YOUR problem because you chose to lock yourself in an easily controlled vehicle,” said one.
Asked if he took risks with the car that he wouldn’t have taken had he known he would get caught, the original poster told DailyMail.com: “I noticed it before I got that far.”
As for other people’s reactions on Reddit, he wasn’t surprised.
“It’s the internet and especially Reddit, so people are going to be more critical,” he said.”