Cybertruck tracking in Las Vegas case raises privacy concerns
Share and Follow


() Tesla’s response to a Cybertruck explosion outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel has raised serious concerns about vehicle data and privacy.

Investigators say 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger killed himself moments before the rented Cybertruck exploded. Investigators are still sifting through evidence, but Tesla has already made statements that show how much data the company was collecting.

Some of the first answers in the case came from Tesla founder Elon Musk, who wrote on X that “we have no confirmed that the explosion was caused by very large fireworks or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cyber truck and is unrelated to the vehicle itself. All vehicle telemetry was positive at the time of the explosion.”

That indicates the Cybertruck was transmitting data up until the explosion. Las Vegas Metro Police and the FBI have been using that data to help piece together the case.

“I have to thank Elon Musk specifically for being able to capture all of the video from the Tesla charging stations across the country,” said one official. “He sent that directly to us. We tracked his movements through the Tesla charging station to Monument. Colorado, on December 30. On the 31st of December, the truck was charged in Trinidad, Colorado; Las Vegas, New Mexico; and Albuquerque and Gallup, New Mexico.”

Authorities confirmed that the Cybertruck was not in full self-driving mode at any point during the incident.

Investigators have also recovered a microchip from the Cybertruck. They have not shared any video from inside the truck, which could yield even more information, but this is still the most high-profile example of how modern cars collect information on their drivers and those around them.

Tesla is not the only brand to collect this data, with most automobile companies engaging in similar activities.

A 2023 study from the Mozilla Foundation found that 75% of car brands said they can share or sell driver data, and 84% of car brands said they can share driver’s personal data, with 76% saying they can sell your personal data.

That has privacy experts warning that people’s own cars are the most heavily surveilled part of their day-to-day lives.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania residents say windshield barnacles are predatory, question legality

Philadelphia Residents Challenge Legality of Windshield Barnacles, Labeling Them as Predatory

In Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, a contentious parking enforcement strategy has ignited…
FILE - Morgan Geyser appears in a Waukesha County courtroom, Jan. 9, 2025, in Waukesha, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, file)

Slender Man Case Update: Suspect Agrees to Return to Wisconsin After Escaping Group Home

In Madison, Wisconsin, a woman who was released from a mental health…
National Guard shooting suspect shouted 'Allahu Akbar,' was struck by return fire and subdued by witness: feds

National Guard Shooting Suspect Subdued After Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and Being Hit by Return Fire, Authorities Report

An Afghan national, accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington,…
New York City news: James Rizzo, arrested in attack on NYU student, Amelia Lewis, has lengthy criminal history | Video

NYC Crime Update: Repeat Offender James Rizzo Arrested for Assault on NYU Student Amelia Lewis – Watch Shocking Footage

In the bustling heart of New York City, an unsettling incident has…
Brian Walshe told cops his missing wife left for a flight on Jan 1, JetBlue records keeper says otherwise

JetBlue Records Contradict Brian Walshe’s Claim About Wife’s Jan 1 Departure, Police Report Indicates

On Wednesday, the murder trial of Boston art fraudster Brian Walshe continued…
Actress Sarah Paulson gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Actress Sarah Paulson Honored with Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Sarah Paulson, celebrated for her Emmy and…
Afghan man accused of DC shooting may have been blackmailed by Taliban

Taliban Blackmail Allegations Emerge in Case of Afghan Man Accused in DC Shooting

Investigators are delving into a chilling possibility regarding the suspect accused of…
Mysterious 'heartbeat' pulsating from 3I/ATLAS as it nears Earth

Intriguing Pulsations Detected from 3I/ATLAS as It Approaches Earth

The enigmatic interstellar visitor, known as 3I/ATLAS, is exhibiting a peculiar ‘heartbeat,’…