Germany analyzes espionage risks from Chinese connected vehicles

The German government is conducting a national risk analysis regarding the security implications of connected vehicles, specifically focusing on Chinese-made cars. Because these vehicles utilize cameras, microphones, and sensors to collect vast amounts of environmental and movement data, concerns regarding espionage have emerged.

The German Federal Ministry of the Interior has noted “abstract dangers of misuse,” stating that state influence over manufacturers cannot be ruled out through technical means, though no specific incidents have been reported to the government yet. Experts from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) have warned that while data leakage can occur for advertising or AI training, the primary risk lies in potential espionage.

Neighboring countries, including Poland and Switzerland, have already implemented access restrictions for military sites to mitigate these risks. Paulina Uznanska, a researcher at the Warsaw Centre for Eastern Studies, has compared connected vehicles to “drones on wheels,” noting that China treats such technology as a matter of national security and is more restrictive with its use than many European nations.