A new system designed to record video and audio of parking valets installed in the 2015 Corvette might be illegal to use according to manufacturer Chevrolet.
Using Chevy’s new “Valet Mode” — which records video from the Corvette’s front-facing camera as well as audio from inside the car — could be a felony as a result of the latter feature, which violates certain state laws requiring a person to give consent before recording audio of him or her.
The feature was introduced last month as exclusive to the 2015 Corvette.
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General Motors has since sent letters to dealerships informing them of the potential violation, who have in turn sent letters to Corvette customers, according to Corvette Blogger.
“While common sense would seem to dictate that there in no expectation of privacy while being in someone else’s vehicle,” the report explains, “the mere threat of customers being liable for criminal or civil punishment rising from using the Valet Mode with [the Performance Data Recorder] was enough for GM to communicate this immediately to dealers and issue a ‘do not use’ notice to buyers of the 2015 Corvette.”
The company said it is working on an update for the system, which will likely notify vehicle occupants that they are being recorded, and possibly include a consent feature.