• Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has demanded a safety advocacy group take down.
• Videos of its vehicles running over child dummies when its driver.
• Assistant system was engaged, calling them “defamatory” and “misleading.”

Tesla threatened to take legal action, saying the tests in the videos are “likely fraudulent” and “misrepresent.

The capabilities of Tesla’s technology.”

The group, the Dawn Project, has launched a nationwide TV campaign warning of alleged potential dangers of what Tesla calls “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software, adding to public and regulatory scrutiny of the technology.

One of the videos posted by the group shows a Tesla vehicle with FSD software running over child-sized mannequins, and says “Tell Congress to shut it down.”

The Dawn Project and its founder, according to a cease-and-desist letter from Tesla dated Aug. 11, “have been insulting Tesla’s commercial interests and communicating libellous information to the public.” The letter was disclosed by the Dawn Project on Thursday.

Following a number of crashes, the American safety watchdog has intensified its investigations into Tesla’s Autopilot technology.

The business claimed that when properly employed, its “FSD Beta,” a test version of their new autonomous driving technology used by a small number of consumers, “does recognize pedestrians, including children, and when utilized properly, the system reacts to prevent or mitigate a collision.”

Dan O’Dowd, a Californian software entrepreneur and opponent of Tesla’s FSD system who had previously run for the U.S. Senate, launched The Dawn Project.

The Dawn Project said its tests are “are completely legitimate and not deceptive,” and called Tesla’s letter “marketing propaganda.”

A request for comment from Tesla was not immediately complied with.

[embedpost slug=”tesla-to-urge-dismissal-of-california-agencys-race-bias-claim/”]