Swedishโ Authorities โคWarn of Potentialโ Spying Risks from Chinese Electric Vehicles
Stockholm, โSweden – Swedish authorities have issued warnings regarding data transmission from Chinese-made โelectric vehicles, raisingโค concerns they โcould be used for espionage and surveillance. The alerts,โ issued byโฃ Trafikverket, Sweden’s transport administration, โcentre on the volume of data these vehicles collect and transmit, prompting a โnational security review.
The concerns comeโ amid growing debate over the data security practices โขof Chinese automakers โคand the potential for sensitive โfacts gathered by vehicle systems – including cameras,microphones,andโ location โขdata – to be accessed by external actors. While noโ evidence of maliciousโ use has yet surfaced,officials are โคproactively addressing potential vulnerabilities. This followsโ a broader trend of Western governments scrutinizing data privacy and security risks associated with connected vehicles, especially those manufactured in countriesโข with differing โขgeopolitical alignments.
A journalist who โhas recently become a vocal proponent of Chinese cars downplayed theโฃ risks,stating the โฃtransmitted data is โunrelated to sabotage and essential for vehicle operation. โคHe asserted there’s no evidenceโ the data โคhas โฃbeen usedโข dangerously within Sweden.
However, jens johanson, a senior strategist at Trafikverket, cautioned againstโข dismissing โthe โwarningsโ as “science โขfiction.”โค He emphasized the extensive data collection capabilitiesโค of modern vehiclesโ and questioned the necessity of constant, large-scale data transmissionโค from Chinese cars. “If weโ don’t act quickly and coordinated nowโฃ to adjust and eliminate these risks and vulnerabilities, when they manifest themselves it will be too late to do it,” โฃJohanson stated.
The situation is unfoldingโ asโ Chinese automotive brands gain increasing market share in Europe, presenting both opportunitiesโฃ and challenges for policymakers and consumers alike. Authorities areโ now โฃfocused on developing strategies toโ mitigate potential risks and ensure the โsecurity โฃof transportation infrastructure and personal โdata.
