Tesla data collected from China is stored in China, says Tesla official

Data gathered from Tesla Inc’s electric vehicles in China is stored in China, the U.S. automaker’s official said while addressing the reports that the Chinese military has banned Tesla vehicles from its facilities.

“Tesla as a company with operations in China must abide China’s laws and regulations,” Tao Lin, the Logistics Analyst at Tesla, told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.

“Our data is very well protected. Chinese data is stored in China,” he added.

He said the automaker would share its understanding of data protection with the government.

Tesla vehicles have been banned from Chinese military complexes and housing compounds since March due to the concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into automobiles.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last month that his company would be shut down if its vehicles were used to spy.