Photo by Sentry Labs on Unsplash.
Tesla Launches First Robotaxi Service In Texas
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Tesla started to roll out its Robotaxi services in Texas this Sunday. The company deployed a limited fleet of around 10 Model Y SUVs in Austin to provide the anticipated service for the first time.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Tesla started to roll out its Robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday.
- The company deployed around 10 autonomous vehicles, Model Y SUVs, for its customers.
- A few users got to test the new services and shared their experience on social media.
According to Reuters , Tesla offered passengers a ride for a $4.20 flat fee and offered early access invitations to selected people. Social media users who got to download the app and test the new service shared videos and thoughts across multiple platforms.
Super congratulations to the @Tesla_AI software & chip design teams on a successful @Robotaxi launch!! Culmination of a decade of hard work. Both the AI chip and software teams were built from scratch within Tesla. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2025
Musk said that experts at Tesla were “super paranoid” about users’ safety and were monitoring the fleet closely and remotely. Humans were behind the “teleoperation” service, ready to act and control the vehicle if needed.
It was not disclosed exactly how many Tesla workers were in the vehicle as a safety measure or how autonomous the operation was.
According to The New York Times , the launch was highly anticipated, and many investors and experts were waiting to see if the technology matched Musk’s promises.
“So far, this launch lags significantly behind the company’s promise and what competitors have already delivered,” said Paul Miller, principal analyst at Forrester Research, to the newspaper.
Others were more enthusiastic. “This is a historic moment,” said Herbert Ong, one of the content creators who got to enjoy Tesla’s Robotaxi service.
“Some people still doubt Tesla’s Robotaxi’s tech, but it’s clear they’re making big moves. This could be the start of something huge!” added Ong in a post.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives says Tesla’s Robotaxi rides were smoother than Waymo’s early ones! 🔥 Some people still doubt Tesla’s @robotaxi tech, but it’s clear they’re making big moves. This could be the start of something huge! $TSLA @DivesTech pic.twitter.com/4wl5MxsGib — Herbert Ong (@herbertong) June 23, 2025
Tesla plans on expanding its Robotaxi service across the United States, where the laws allow the autonomous service.
“Our approach to autonomy also enables scalability: Tesla self-driving can be deployed anywhere it’s approved,” wrote the company on a post on X . “It does not require expensive, specialized equipment or extensive mapping of service areas. It just works.”
Earlier this year, Waymo and Uber partnered to offer robotaxi rides also in Austin , Texas, and a couple of weeks ago, the robotaxi company also announced that it was expanding its services to Japan .
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
U.S. Law Firm Takes Legal Action Against NordVPN Over Alleged “Deceptive” Auto-Renewal Pricing
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The American law firm Wittels McInturff Palikovic (WMP) has taken legal action against NordVPN over its alleged “deceptive and illegal” auto-renewal services. The firm has filed a class action, a type of lawsuit in which the firm represents a group of people, claiming that the VPN company makes it difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- The law firm WMP has filed a class action against NordVPN over its alleged “deceptive and illegal” auto-renewal services.
- WMP claims NordVPN makes it “intentionally” difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions.
- NordVPN states that its system is clear and straightforward, and that it issues refunds.
According to WMP’s announcement , the law firm filed the class action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and Western District of North Carolina on behalf of NordVPN customers across the United States.
“The class action alleges that NordVPN uses deceptive and illegal ‘automatic renewal’ practices to dupe customers into unknowingly paying for unwanted, pricey subscriptions to the NordVPN virtual private network and other services,” states the announcement shared by the firm.
WMP claims that NordVPN makes it “intentionally” difficult for customers to cancel their subscriptions by using “dark patterns”—manipulative design strategies meant to confuse users. The firm states that the system results in users paying “tens of millions of dollars” as they struggle to stop the renewal process.
According to Tech Radar , most VPNs in the market have similar auto-renewal systems, and it’s not the first time WMP presents legal complaints against NordVPN seeking compensation of up to $100 million. However, no lawsuits have resulted in a judgment against NordVPN to date.
“Our auto-renewal practices are clear and straightforward,” said NordVPN to TechRadar in a statement. “We are and always have been very clear about the recurring nature of our services, and we also send charge reminders to customers with long-term recurring subscriptions.”
NordVPN added that they issue refunds even when customers exceed the 30-trial window, and mentioned that two of the customers participating in the lawsuits received refunds.
Other tech companies have also faced legal scrutiny in recent days. The BBC recently threatened Perplexity with legal action for allegedly scraping content from its website to train its “default AI model.”
