Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s reaction to the Super Bowl ads from The Dawn Project.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has denied any involvement in the production of advertisements aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl championship that called for a boycott of Tesla Inc TSLA and drew a strong reaction from CEO Elon Musk.
What Happened: The independent government investigative agency said in a statement that it does not endorse the work of The Dawn Project which produced the advertisements or authorize the use of its seal in ads. The agency has further asked the group to stop using its seal, terming it “unlawful.”
“Contrary to Federal law, you did not obtain, and the NTSB did not grant, permission to use the NTSB Seal in your Super Bowl LVIII commercial or on any other materials. Moreover, your unauthorized use of the NTSB's seal spuriously implies endorsement of your company and/or message by the NTSB,” the NTSB said in a letter to The Dawn Project while also flagging a portion of the advertisement where the agency’s logo is on display.
Why It Matters: The Dawn Project, founded by tech billionaire Dan O’Dowd, says its primary objective is to ensure software safety across applications.
In the two ads released by the group at the Super Bowl championship, the group alleged that Tesla failed to act despite the group flagging multiple concerns about the safety of its full self-driving software and urged for a boycott of the company.
“When you buy a new Tesla you are financing and enabling Elon Musk to put a dangerous, unfinished, product on our public roads,” O’Dowd said in a statement on Sunday. “Boycott Tesla now to keep your kids and families safe from Tesla's self-driving cars."
Musk responded to O'Dowd's allegations saying, "He has lost his marbles." The CEO also termed it "unsurprising" that The Dawn Project founder broke the law with the use of the NTSB logo in his ads.
Photo Courtesy: T. Schneider On Shutterstock.com
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Images via Dan O’Dowd and Shutterstock
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