’15 Corvette owners may break the law with “Valet Mode”

’15 Corvette owners may break the law with “Valet Mode”

Buyers of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray may be inadvertently breaking the law through the use of Valet Mode, which records audio, video and performance while the users car is in the hands of a parking attendant.

Buyers of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray could be inadvertently breaking the law in some states. General Motors sent a bulletin to car dealers in this past week which states that they should tell buyers to not use the “Valet Mode” until the software is updated. This update should arrive early in October.

“You must advise any customers who take delivery of an impacted vehicle that they should refrain from using Valet Mode until the update takes place,” said General Motors in the bulletin.

The problem lies with laws in 12 U.S. states that ban the recording of private conversations unless both parties consent. In some of these states, recording a private conversation without the consent of the participants is considered a felony. The feature is known by GM as a “baby monitor for your car” and records audio, video and vehicle data when the car is given to a valet. If users decide to use Valet Mode despite being warned, they must notify the valet that they are being recorded.

“Anyone who has felt apprehension about handing over their keys will appreciate the peace of mind of knowing exactly what happened while their baby was out of sight,” said Harlan Charles, Corvette product manager.

It is currently unclear exactly how the software update will avoid breaking the law, however it is likely that it could either disable audio recording or show a warning that audio is being recorded.

The performance data recorder and valet monitor are both part of a package with the Corvette Stingray that costs users buyers $1,795. The package also records exactly how the vehicle was driven while in Valet Mode.

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