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Tesla's Alleged Saboteur Sued by Carmaker Over Data Theft

  • Hacker illicitly photographed production line, company says
  • Company wants judge to bar use of confidential information
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Tesla Inc. sued a former employee for hacking the electric-car maker’s confidential and trade secret information, transferring several gigabytes to outside entities along with illicit photos of the production line.

The company accused a former technician at its battery gigafactory in Nevada of launching a sabotage campaign after being denied a promotion. Martin Tripp wrote a computer program to access proprietary information, sending material to three unidentified entities and attempting to cover his electronic tracks, Tesla said in the complaint.