Waymo staff watching a cabin camera called police over a gun that fired Orbeez

A 35-year-old Waymo rider told WIRED he thought his backpack was what sent up red flags ^[7]. He was among the California passengers, many in their twenties or older, who reported Waymo employees taking over the intercom mid-ride to check they were old enough to ride alone ^[6]. Waymo said it had used its cabin cameras both to keep riders safe and to enforce its rules ^[6]. The companies describe the people behind those cameras as occasional. Waymo, Zoox and Tesla all say staff view interior cameras only when needed ^[10]. According to WIRED, that does not mean the cameras are off ^[11]. Zoox's website says its interior cameras "record the entirety of your ride," and that the data can help develop and improve its product ^[14]. Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina said the company uses "automated technology to support our teams in identifying potential violations" ^[12]. A 2025 Waymo patent describes interior cameras running automated "predetermined ride checklists" before, during and after rides. Ilina did not say whether that system is in use ^[13]. In San Mateo County, what Waymo staffers saw on the feed went to police ^[2]. The car pulled into a parking lot and stayed there until officers arrived ^[1]. A police report said it looked like two teens were shooting a black handgun out the window, playing with it and drinking between shots ^[3]. Waymo has said its cars carry automated tech that can flag a firearm ^[5]. WIRED's account does not say whether software or a person spotted the Orbeez gun first ^[4]. Once footage exists, the privacy terms are broad. They cover cleanliness checks and lost items, and also improving products or services ^[8]. All three companies say recordings may go to law enforcement or regulators ^[10]. WIRED reported that few clear US rules govern this surveillance, and that riders accept it through long terms of service in small print ^[19]. "We are being essentially abandoned by our lawmakers when it comes to consumer privacy and what companies can do with information after they've collected it," said Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation ^[9]. Tesla's documents describe a signal the rider can see. A green indicator appears on the central touchscreen when the camera is on, and riders opt in to sharing cabin video and audio through a toggle in the app's "data and privacy" section ^[15]. Riders in its early access program were opted in automatically, and Tesla did not respond when asked whether that program has ended ^[16]. The Robotaxi app opened to the public in a handful of Texas and Florida cities in early September ^[17]. "You need some kind of check on what people do in a car with no driver," said Justin Brookman, who directs technology policy at Consumer Reports ^[18]. I agree, and it follows that safety monitoring cannot be a toggle. I'd split the camera's jobs. Safety monitoring stays on, and the screen says so whenever a person joins the feed. Using footage to improve the product stays off until the rider switches it on. The team gives up training footage from riders who decline, and it will hear from riders reacting in the moment to a notice that someone is watching. A workable sort for any proposed camera use has two axes. One is who looks: software flagging, or a person watching. The other is where the result goes: it stays in the ride, as an intercom message or an ended trip, or it leaves, as a police call or training data. The age checks were a person, with a result that stayed in the ride ^[6]. In San Mateo, a person watched and the result left the car ^[2]. Zoox's product-development use is a recording that leaves ^[14].