Women report being stalked and abused through their smart car apps

In 2020, a woman from San Francisco filed a lawsuit, accusing her estranged husband of using remote access to their jointly-owned Tesla Model X to harass her after their separation. The legal complaint outlined disturbing incidents where he activated the car’s lights, horns, and climate control remotely, causing discomfort and distress.

The husband even exploited the car’s location-finding feature to discover the woman’s secret residence. Despite obtaining a restraining order, the woman faced challenges revoking her husband’s access through Tesla, leading her to spend $400 on an independent mechanic to disable the remote tracking. However, this solution came at the cost of losing the car’s navigation system and emergency S.O.S. button.

Tesla was dismissed from the case by a judge who deemed it unrealistic to expect car manufacturers to monitor every instance of app misuse.

Another woman claimed that she was harassed by her ex husband through the use of her smart car, according to the NY Times. “Mbrace,” a component of “Mercedes Me” also offered a suite of connected car services accessible via a smartphone app. Despite using the Mercedes Me app solely for auto loan payments, she was unaware it could track the car’s location. A troubling incident occurred when her husband, still having digital access, sent a message to a male friend with a thumbs-up emoji after she visited his home, captured by a nearby camera.

Despite repeatedly contacting Mercedes customer service to revoke her husband’s digital access the woman had no power since the loan and title were in his name due to his superior credit score. Even with a restraining order and sole use granted during divorce proceedings, Mercedes representatives cited her husband as the customer, denying her the ability to sever the app’s connection to the vehicle. The harassment stopped for good when the woman’s husband committed suicide.

Both horrific incidents of automotive technology being used to abuse women shed light on the broader issue of technology-enabled stalking in cases of domestic violence. Advocates argue that legislative measures, such as the Safe Connections Act, should extend to cars, allowing victims with protective orders to easily sever digital access and safeguard their privacy.

Domestic violence experts stress the urgency of addressing this issue, highlighting the critical role that cars play as lifelines for victims, who should not have to choose between being stalked by the vehicle or losing access to essential transportation.