Tesla launched a campaign against “deceptive” methods of activating autopilot in regions where its use is prohibited.

Brief news summary

Tesla has long been developing driver assistance systems (ADAS), but their use outside the United States is limited not by technical reasons but by legal ones. In response to attempts to “circumvent” these restrictions, the company began actively blocking third‑party devices and revoking warranties for those who used them.

1. Why Tesla bans FSD outside the U.S.
- Legal risk: if a car with Full‑Self Driving (FSD) enabled is involved in an accident in a country where that feature is not approved, liability falls on the manufacturer.
- Technical solution: there are “hacks” that disable the geographic lock and allow FSD to be activated even where Tesla officially does not sell it.

2. The market for illegal devices
- Such gadgets cost about €500.
- They connect to the car’s CAN bus and remove the restriction on using FSD.
- Popular in Europe, South Korea, China, and Turkey.

3. How Tesla responds
1. Specialists remotely connect to the onboard computer.
2. Detect the “hacks” and roll back the system to basic Autopilot.
3. Restore the FSD lock even for those who have already paid for access.
4. Send letters waiving warranty obligations and declaring a cyber threat.

4. Legal consequences in South Korea
- Attempts to modify software are punishable by fines up to $13,200 or up to two years’ imprisonment.
- FSD is officially available only for Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck imported from the U.S.
- Model 3 and Model Y supplied from China cannot use FSD within the country.
- A buyer can pay $6,000 for access, but Tesla decides when to activate the feature.

5. Example of a “hack” in the media
- An American blogger posts a video without a steering wheel, even though it is officially not allowed.
- It is believed that he has installed a “hack” that allows him to keep his hands off the wheel.
- Elon Musk used these recordings to demonstrate Tesla’s capabilities.

6. Takeaway
Tesla faces growing scrutiny from regulators worldwide and does not want to exacerbate legal liability for using its features outside approved regions. Therefore the company actively blocks third‑party solutions that allow bypassing geographic restrictions on FSD.