Modern cars’ smart features could be used to spy on you, drivers warned
The Dutch intelligence agency AIVD has warned that smart features in modern vehicles, such as microphones and cameras, could be exploited by hostile states for espionage. This alert highlights the security risks associated with the increasing digital connectivity of cars and the data they collect about occupants and their surroundings. The warning coincides with a significant rise in Chinese car imports in the UK, prompting concerns from British defense officials about potential data extraction by foreign entities.
- ▪The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) stated that it is technically possible to remotely activate microphones and cameras in some cars to eavesdrop on conversations.
- ▪Chinese-owned brands now account for 15% of all new cars registered in the UK, with models from MG, BYD, and Jaecoo leading the market surge.
- ▪The UK Ministry of Defence has banned cars with Chinese parts from sensitive military sites, including RAF Wyton and the Special Boat Service headquarters.
- ▪MI5 recently warned UK universities to cease working with the China General Technology Research Institute, alleging it serves as a front for Beijing's intelligence services.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/01/cars-smart-features-spy-gps-chinese-imports |
| Publication time | Thu, 01 Oct 2026 10:25:02 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-01T10:32:32.687Z |
| Last seen | 2026-10-01T10:32:32.687Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
| Excerpt source | publisher body |
| Excerpt method | First ~120 words (~800 chars) of extracted publisher body, fair-use limited. |
| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
| Citation coverage | Summary is a WeSearch-generated derivative; primary citation is the original publisher URL. |
| Cluster | O_ojiyLFyAhA · 1 stories |
| Cluster logic | Grouped by semantic title/content similarity across sources within a rolling window. Same-publisher template collisions are excluded from coverage comparison. |
| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Retrieval / RAG | May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation? | Not asserted |
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Cars are becoming ‘increasingly smart’ with digital systems that collect data and connect to the internet, the Dutch spy agency said. Photograph: Tamer Adel/AlamyView image in fullscreenCars are becoming ‘increasingly smart’ with digital systems that collect data and connect to the internet, the Dutch spy agency said. Photograph: Tamer Adel/AlamyMotoringModern cars’ smart features could be used to spy on you, drivers warnedHostile states could access cameras, microphones or GPS, says Dutch spy agency amid concerns over Chinese importsAlex DanielThu 1 Oct 2026 06.25 EDTLast modified on Thu 1 Oct 2026 06.26 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleDrivers have been warned that the smart features built into modern cars such as microphones, cameras and GPS trackers could be used by hostile states…
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