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Authorities in South Korea have booked 80 individuals for allegedly using unauthorized devices to unlock Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced Tuesday that it has booked 80 people for illegally activating Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature using unauthorized devices. According to the agency, the suspects used devices that were either manufactured in Europe and China or were homemade. The police have seized 21 unauthorized activation devices as part of the investigation.
The suspects allegedly used devices to bypass regional software locks. These unlock modules reportedly connect to the car’s CAN bus, which is the internal network linking electronic control units. One suspect, an individual working in the IT industry, reportedly built an activation device using information found on GitHub, a code-sharing platform for developers.
Police stated that suspects also used online communities to trade tips. These tips included methods for unlocking FSD and instructions on how to prevent the car from keeping records of the activation. One suspect reportedly purchased a European-made activation device and connected it to their Tesla to use the feature without authorization.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport asked police to investigate the matter in April after finding signs of unauthorized FSD activation. The government considers this practice a violation of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, which prohibits the arbitrary changing, installing, adding, or deleting of software that may affect a vehicle's safe operation. Violators face potential penalties of up to two years in prison or a fine of up to 20 million won (approximately $15,000).
Police officials have expressed concerns regarding road safety. "Safety risks were confirmed, including the possibility that FSD may fail to properly recognize driving conditions or operate differently from the driver’s intentions," a police official said.
In South Korea, FSD is legally available only on U.S.-made Teslas, such as the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. These vehicles are exempt from Korean auto safety certification under the Korea-U.S. FTA. Conversely, China-made models, such as the Model 3 and Model Y, have not passed Korea’s safety standards.
According to car market research firm Carisyou Data Lab, of the 229,311 Teslas on Korean roads as of August, only 47,458, or 20.7 percent, can legally use FSD.
Tesla has taken steps to address unauthorized activations. In April, the company began remotely detecting unlock devices and disabling FSD access on affected vehicles. Tesla has also warned owners that unauthorized modifications could void warranty coverage and leave owners liable for crashes.
In August 2023, researchers exploited a hardware security flaw in the AMD processor used in Tesla's media control unit to unlock certain paid features. Additionally, the company has faced scrutiny regarding software changes, such as a December 2021 investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into an update that allowed drivers to play games while vehicles were moving.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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TechTrending
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has booked 80 people for using aftermarket devices to activate Tesla's Full Self-Driving software on unauthorized vehicles.
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