Tesla sets up China site to store data locally

BEIJING – US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla said on Tuesday that it had set up a site in China to store car data locally, as automakers are increasingly scrutinized about how they handle information collected by vehicle cameras and sensors.

Tesla said in a Weibo post that data generated by all the cars it sells in China, where it makes Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs, would be stored in the country.

Tesla added that it would expand its data center network in China. Shares of the company fell 0.7% last.

China, the world’s largest automotive market and the second largest for Tesla, is enacting rules to ensure the security of data generated by connected vehicles as their growing popularity raises concerns about privacy and national security.

Staff at some Chinese government offices have been told not to park their Tesla cars in government buildings due to concerns about vehicle cameras, two knowledgeable people told Reuters last week.

Last week, Tesla Vice President Grace Tao, along with executives at Baidu Inc and Alibaba, attended a policy discussion held by a Chinese think tank on data security.

Tesla is developing a platform for car owners in China that allows them to access data generated by their vehicles. It also strengthens its involvement with mainland regulators and bolsters its government relations team, sources told Reuters.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Tony Munroe. Edited by Louise Heavens and Mark Potter)

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