A viral video allegedly shows a Tesla Cybertruck being remotely “de-activated” on the road because the driver released a song titled “Cybertruck.” According to the claim, Tesla sent a cease-and-desist letter ordering the driver to stop using Tesla’s intellectual property. While the video spread across multiple platforms, our investigation confirms this claim is false.
Social Media Posts
Multiple social media users shared a video of a Tesla Cybertruck appearing to malfunction with text on the screen stating “Vehicle De-Activated – Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate.” The video shows a driver claiming Tesla remotely disabled their vehicle after they released a rap song titled “Cybertruck.” Accompanying the video was what appeared to be a cease-and-desist letter from Tesla’s legal department demanding the driver stop using Tesla’s intellectual property.
Fact-Check
Tesla’s Official Response
Shortly after the clip went viral, Tesla posted on its official X account: “This is fake – that’s not our screen. Tesla does NOT disable vehicles remotely.” This statement from the company addresses both the authenticity of the video and the notion of remote deactivation.
On-screen anomalies undermine credibility
The red-screen warning shown in the clip displays text and formatting that diverge significantly from Tesla’s established in-car interface. The typography, layout, and alert phrasing do not match Tesla’s design patterns, and the message includes instructions to “return to dealer.” This phrase is incompatible with Tesla’s direct-to-consumer business model. Tesla does not operate franchise dealerships anywhere in the world, as confirmed in its SEC filings. (Source)
Below is a genuine Tesla Cybertruck UI screen:
Such a mismatch between the visual style, terminology, and Tesla’s actual operational model strongly suggests the display was fabricated (e.g., a video or image overlaid on the screen) rather than a genuine system alert.
The posted cease-and-desist letter shows multiple credibility problems
The letter shown in the video has several problems that suggest it’s fake. The most telling issue is that it uses Dinna Eskin’s outdated job title. When the Verge compared this letter with genuine Tesla cease-and-desist letters from 2022, they found that while real letters correctly identified Eskin as “Sr. Director and Deputy General Counsel,” this viral letter uses the same title even though she has since been promoted. Furthermore, the language and formatting in the letter appears inconsistent with Tesla’s documented legal correspondence. See the previous letter here.
What Tesla’s remote capabilities actually cover
Tesla vehicles can receive over-the-air updates, have certain features restricted for administrative reasons (e.g., salvage-title vehicles), and be located or disabled if reported stolen. However, Tesla’s public documentation, and Tesla itself, make clear there is no practice or system for remotely shutting down a vehicle mid-drive as depicted in the viral clip.
Tesla’s safety systems ensure critical driving functions (steering, braking) cannot be disabled over-the-air while driving. There is no capability for the abrupt “cease & desist” lockout shown in the viral video. (Source)
Conclusion
After analyzing the viral Tesla Cybertruck video, we’ve found it to be false. Tesla officially denied the claim on their social media, stating they never remotely disable vehicles. The warning screen shown in the video doesn’t match Tesla’s actual interface design, and the cease-and-desist letter contains several mistakes, including an outdated job title for a Tesla executive. This video appears to be deliberately created to generate social media engagement rather than showing a real Tesla policy or technical capability.
Title:Tesla Did Not Remotely Deactivate a Cybertruck Over a Rap Song
Fact Check By: Cielito WangResult: False
