SAN FRANCISCO—Tesla Inc. has demanded a safety advocacy group take down videos of its vehicles running over child dummies when its driver assistant system was engaged, calling them “defamatory” and “misleading.”
The group, the Dawn Project, has launched a nationwide TV campaign warning of alleged potential dangers of what Tesla calls “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software, adding to public and regulatory scrutiny of the technology.
One of the videos posted by the group shows a Tesla vehicle with FSD software running over child-sized mannequins, and says “Tell Congress to Shut it Down.”
In a Cease and Desist letter dated Aug. 11, Tesla said the Dawn Project and its founder “have been disparaging Tesla’s commercial interests and disseminating defamatory information to the public.” The letter was disclosed by the Dawn Project on Thursday….