HMM: Tesla’s ‘Security Protocols’ Stopped DHS From Installing a Tracking Device.
“Case agents believed that Stair is using the Tesla to assist with drug trafficking and traveling to locations associated with the DTO [drug trafficking organization] and DTO members,” the application said. “Case agents are still attempting to identify other locations used by the DTO, other members of the DTO, and the source of supply for narcotics and believe that the court order would be beneficial for the investigation.”
A judge issued the warrant the same day the application was filed, but agents never got the tracking device on the car. “Search warrant not executed due to security protocols active on Tesla,” the agent said in a court filing about the warrant.
The court documents don’t elaborate on the specific “security protocols” that stopped them from placing a tracking device on the car, but the Tesla may have been in “Sentry Mode.” Teslas have eight external cameras that provide a 360 degree view of the car’s surroundings. This makes the car’s self-driving features possible but also allows owners to keep track of what’s going on around the car.
If a stranger approaches a Tesla while it’s in Sentry Mode, the car will flash its lights, sound an alarm, and start recording through its exterior cameras.
Not a big fan of police being unable to execute a warrant, but that’s a great ad for anyone concerned about stalkers.