BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Thuringia's head of constitutional protection, Stephan Kramer, has warned of data privacy risks posed by electric vehicles from China. "The threat of espionage through Chinese electric cars is real," he told the "Handelsblatt." However, he clarified that this is less about traditional espionage and more about "large-scale data harvesting." The level of danger, he noted, depends significantly on where and by whom the vehicles are used.
Kramer Sees High Risk for Certain Sectors
For security-sensitive sectors such as the armed forces, police, critical infrastructure, and government environments, Kramer assesses the risk as "high." Even the transmission of location data to external IT systems in the cloud is problematic, he said.
For companies engaged in sensitive research and development, Kramer sees a "medium to high risk." This is especially true if vehicles regularly visit research sites, are used by executives, or serve as "mobile meeting rooms."
It's Not Just About Chinese Electric Cars
In Kramer's view, electric vehicles in general pose an espionage risk, not just those from China. "Modern electric cars are rolling computers," he said. These vehicles collect and transmit a wide array of information. This includes location and movement data, data from the interior via microphones or cameras, telephone and contact data from smartphone connections, information about driving behavior, as well as environmental data gathered by assistance systems.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior intends to monitor the situation. "Due to the increasing market share of Chinese car manufacturers in the European market, the geopolitical situation, and China's power ambitions, it is necessary to keep a close eye on possible risks from Chinese vehicles," a spokesperson told the "Handelsblatt."
The spokesperson pointed out that Chinese vehicles "possess highly complex, interconnected systems that generate, store, and transmit large amounts of data."
Manufacturers Are Actually Required to Provide Protection
A spokesperson for the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) told the German Press Agency that a large proportion of new vehicles offered in Germany have the technical capability to record data generated during driving—such as location, camera, and other sensor data—and transmit it to backend systems at the manufacturers. This is done, for example, to offer additional services to vehicle users or to further develop products.
According to EU type approval law, manufacturers are obligated to "adequately protect vehicles against cyberattacks and prevent unauthorized access to vehicle data." However, the exact scope of the data generated and its transmission is often opaque for customers. The spokesperson also noted that the actual use of the data by manufacturers, especially abroad, is difficult to verify./hrz/DP/mis
