Teslas Antwort an die Handelsblatt-Redaktion im Wortlaut

Informanten werfen Tesla vor, Daten von Kunden, Mitarbeitern und Geschäftsprojekten mangelhaft zu schützen. Sie haben dem Handelsblatt 100 Gigabyte Daten zugespielt. Der Großteil der abgeflossenen Dokumente stammt offenbar aus Teslas Projektmanagement-System.

Das Handelsblatt stellte Tesla am 10. Mai dazu sowie zu Details aus den Tesla-Files eine Vielzahl an Fragen. Die Antwort kam aus der Rechtsabteilung. Der Konzern verdächtige einen Ex-Mitarbeiter, Daten unter Verstoß gegen Geheimhaltungspflichten weitergegeben zu haben. Es sei ein „verärgerter ehemaliger Mitarbeiter“, der seinen Zugang als Servicetechniker missbraucht habe, „um Informationen zu exfiltrieren“, schrieb Konzernanwalt Joseph Alm. Tesla wolle rechtliche Schritte einleiten. Die gestellten Fragen beantwortete Tesla nicht.

Lesen Sie hier Teslas Reaktion:

Correspondence Concerning Purported Possession of Stolen Information
16 May 2023

Dear Mr. lwersen,

You have informed us that you are in receipt of stolen Tesla confidential information, including Tesla and our business partner's trade secrets and Tesla employees' personal data, per your May 10th email.

We continue to investigate the circumstances alleged in your email. To date, we have reason to believe that a disgruntled ex-employee (…) right before he left Tesla, misused his access as a service technician to exfiltrate information in violation of his signed non-disclosure agreement, Tesla's data management policies and practices, and EU and German law.

Tesla rigorously protects its confidential information and the personal information of its employees and customers. We intend to initiate legal proceedings against this individual for his theft of Tesla confidential information and employees' personal data. We will also cooperate with criminal authorities in this matter.

To be clear, the information that you claim was shared with you could only have been done so in violation of at least Tesla's non-disclosure agreements and policies, data management policies and practices, and EU and German law. Tesla continues to investigate and will pursue legal claims against anyone who – themselves or through solicitation – steals, misuses, or otherwise misappropriates Tesla confidential information or the personal data of its employees and business partners.

As you know, use of illegally obtained data for media reporting is not allowed absent exceptional circumstances. The possession of such data itself without a proper justification breaches, among other things, data protection law. And mishandling this information subjects recipients, such as Handelsblatt, to liability for violation of trade secrets, data protection law, and handling stolen data, among other things. Any such sensitive data in your possession also requires you to protect it carefully against further misappropriation. To this end, please send us a copy of this information, immediately delete all other copies, and confirm with us that you've done so.

Sincerely,
Joseph Alm

Managing Counsel for Litigation
Tesla, lnc.