A WIRED report describes an incident in which Waymo employees remotely viewed a vehicle's interior cameras and called police after seeing what appeared to be a gun. The weapon turned out to be a water gun, but the episode highlights how robotaxi operators can monitor passengers in real time and intervene remotely.
Waymo says it uses automated technology to help identify potential violations, and a company patent describes automated ride checklists. Zoox says its interior cameras record the entirety of a ride. Tesla's robotaxi documents say riders can opt in to sharing cabin video and audio, though early access participants are automatically opted in. All three companies say human staff generally review footage only when needed and that data may be shared with law enforcement.
Experts quoted in the report say US law provides few clear rules for this kind of surveillance, and broad terms of service leave riders with little recourse. The article also cites past automaker data controversies, including Tesla employees sharing sensitive customer video and General Motors paying penalties for selling driving data. The companies argue cameras are necessary for safety, but the legal framework has not caught up with the technology.