Visiting a Tesla car outlet for the first time. Wanted to scan and store my licence for three years. I promptly refused.

Image by: Austin Hervis - Unsplash

My partner and I visited a Tesla car retail outlet today with a view to seeing and test driving a Tesla electric car. The staff were very friendly and professional. Following an introduction and some viewing of the cars we were asked if we would like to take one of the cars for a test drive, to which I answered yes.

I was then asked to show my driving licence, the car sales person then proceeded to inform me he needed to scan my driving licence with a tablet to store my information, to be kept on the Tesla system for three years, I promptly refused this request.

I did show the sales person my licence but refused to have it scanned. I gave him some personal information name, email phone number but would not allow him to scan and store my licence.

This prompted a debate about GDPR as to why Tesla would want to copy and store a person driving licence for three years when they are merely in the process of a test drive. The conversation continued to the point that I either gave the licence to be photographed on the tablet or be refused to take a car for a test drive. So the only alternative left at that point to get into the car was to have the car driven by the sales person. As so we were taken for a short drive.

I was told that the data was being collected under American law as Tesla was an American company. The conversation was not at any point aggressive just a back and forth about the legalities over the storing of the data for three years.

I have diplomas in GDPR and Cybersecurity and I am not sure Tesla are operating legally in this respect of Irish and EU Law.

I feel asking to produce a licence before a test drive to ensure a person has in fact a valid up to date driving licence would be expected and acceptable. However, I also feel, as the person at this point, is but a potential customer Tesla has no right to store this data on its computer system. Has ever right to see the licence but no right to store it for three years, especially with the rise of identity theft online.

There is nothing in the transaction at that point with a person interested in a test drive that would legally warrant Tesla storing this personal private information.

So I have written back to the Tesla sales outlet requesting to see their privacy policy regard this and some question as well.

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Here is the list of questions:

1. Why would Tesla need a customers Driving Licence Information on file for three years with the potential of your website being hacked and the data stolen?

2. Why would Tesla need a customers Driving Licence Information on file when a person is merely test driving a car?

3. What is the purpose of having a persons driving licence information kept on file even if they do not become a customer? Why do you feel you should be given this information?

4. Under what legislation in Ireland do you operate this practice?

5. If the data was stolen do you have a legal policy to compensate and find the hackers with a view to prosecuting them and getting the private data removed from the web?

6. What happens to the data, as Tesla is a foreign company trading in Ireland. 

7. Do you share the data with third parties or sell this data to data brokers?

8. Are you using the data for credit checks?

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So I now am waiting for a reply. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to car companies tracking you and keeping your private data. More article to come on that very soon.