On May 23, Weibo netizen @ derektlm posted that the remote camera function of Xiaopeng app was limited according to relevant national regulations. At present, only Xiaopeng P7 provides remote camera function. Car owners can call the camera on the car through Xiaopeng app to observe some abnormal conditions around the car. For example, when thieves steal the car, they can use the remote camera for monitoring.
(picture from Weibo)
P7 has 13 cameras in total, which are respectively arranged in front of the bumper, front windshield, side gills, rear-view mirror, parking space, steering wheel and other positions of the body. However, users can only call four of them as remote cameras, and all camera modules do not provide 360 degree surround view function, so the field of vision may not be as wide as expected.
In this regard, the official response of Xiaopeng automobile said that in response to the requirements of relevant data safety regulations issued by the competent authorities, the company suspended the "app side remote viewing camera function outside the vehicle" from today. The adjustment does not affect the use of the vehicle's "sentry function". Please rest assured. In other words, although users cannot view the situation around the vehicle through the app, it does not affect the anti-theft ability of the vehicle.
In fact, Xiaopeng is not the only one who has disabled the remote camera. As early as April this year, BYD disabled the "clairvoyant" function that can remotely view the camera image outside the car. In addition, Nissan has disabled a similar remote observation function.
According to BYD customer service, the latest regulations require that if the video, image and other data outside the car mobile phone need to be provided outside the car, the face, license plate and other information in the data should be anonymized at the car end. The current policy requirement is to restore the remote camera after June 30. Whether it will be adjusted later has not been notified yet.
(picture from Xiaopeng auto official website)
It is no wonder that although the camera outside the vehicle can monitor the situation around the vehicle in real time, it will also inadvertently collect passers-by's face, license plate information, or sensitive information such as personnel flow and vehicle flow, which is not conducive to privacy protection. If it is used by some people with ulterior motives, it is likely to lead to major privacy leakage and other dangers. Besides, there is no industry standard for the camera outside the car. Xiao Lei thinks it is more appropriate to temporarily disable it.
Nowadays, the Internet is becoming more and more developed, and data and information security is becoming more and more important. No one wants to be photographed by passing and parked vehicles on the road and synchronized to the owner's mobile phone. Xiao Lei hopes that the relevant anonymization algorithm can come earlier, which can not only ensure the safety of vehicles, but also protect the privacy of others. (