Australia’s Spy Agency Warns Against Discussing Sensitive Info in Cars

In an era where convenience meets connectivity, Australia’s intelligence agency has raised alarms about the potential risks of discussing confidential information in cars. This cautionary note applies broadly, regardless of whether the vehicle is connected to the internet or not.

During a recent senate estimates session, Lisa Alonso Love, ASIO Deputy Director-General, emphasized that secure environments should be the only places for confidential talks, highlighting additional risks associated with “connected vehicles” due to data collection capabilities.

This advisory follows the addition of seven Chinese electric vehicle models to the fleet available to Australian federal politicians, which now account for 30% of the vehicles in the parliamentarian vehicle scheme.

However, the issue isn’t confined to electric or Chinese-manufactured cars. Any internet-connected vehicle brings national security and privacy concerns.

Defining ‘Connected Cars’

The Australian Signals Directorate describes connected vehicles as those linked to the internet via an embedded SIM or a smartphone connection. These vehicles routinely gather and send data back to manufacturers.

A recent study by McKinsey projected that while 50% of cars were internet-enabled in 2021, the figure could soar to 95% by 2030. Data from these vehicles is often stored both locally and in offshore locations, such as Great Wall Motor’s data, which is sent to Singapore but analyzed in China, as per its policy.

The Scope of Data Collection

Equipped with numerous sensors, connected cars can amass 1 to 2 terabytes of data daily. These sensors track vehicle performance and gather details like geolocation, seatbelt use, driving habits, and even the driver’s state of alertness.

Furthermore, the data can infer personal attributes such as weight, age, and even facial expressions. Bluetooth connectivity extends data collection to include contacts, calendars, and other personal information, potentially revealing financial and relationship statuses.

The privacy of passengers is also at stake. Drivers must inform passengers that their activities may be recorded, as noted in vehicle sales agreements.

According to a 2023 Mozilla report, vehicles are notably poor in respecting privacy, with none of the 25 models reviewed passing their privacy criteria. Vehicle manufacturers use this data not only for improvements but also share it with affiliates and data aggregators.

A 2023 Reuters investigation exposed how Tesla employees shared sensitive footage from customer vehicles, including images of accidents and nudity.

Safeguarding Your Privacy

While consumers can often opt-out of certain data collection practices, they might lose access to some vehicle features. To enhance privacy, consider these measures:

1. Thoroughly review privacy and data-sharing agreements when acquiring a vehicle to understand your rights.

2. Utilize vehicleprivacyreport.com to check what data your vehicle collects using its identification number.

3. Avoid installing or activating the manufacturer’s SIM card in data-enabled vehicles.

4. Disable certain data collection features via the vehicle’s downloadable application, if available.

5. Explore the infotainment system for options to opt-out of data collection.

6. When selling or lending your vehicle, perform a factory reset to clear stored data and advise the new owner to do the same.