Could Foreign Cars Spy on Us? Militaries Think So
The military of Poland just made an interesting announcement. Chinese cars are banned from entering military facilities in the country. Personnel can’t even connect military phones to Chinese cars while at home. This might sound like a bizarre tinfoil hat theory, but it’s not so crazy. China’s admitted it.
Modern cars are snitches
New cars collect a ton of data. They store data from exterior cameras, in-cabin cameras, the GPS that records where and when you drive, and data from your in-car apps or personal phone through the infotainment system. The Mozilla Foundation ranked cars the ‘worst product’ for data privacy. The things automakers say they might do with your data make them “worse” for privacy than phones, computers, or any other class of electronics.
Here’s an example: GM sold your driving data to insurance companies. Those companies used metrics such as hard acceleration and braking to justify increasing your rates. The story broke, and the automaker promised to stop selling your data to insurance companies. But it reserved the right to peddle it to the next-highest bidder, such as a marketing company.
Another example: Tesla employees used vehicle cameras to spy on owners’ “private scenes.” Whistleblowers alleged that the department in charge of reviewing vehicle video footage and data for safety, shared clips or stills they found amusing on a company-wide messaging app. These included “scandalous” shots of owners inside their houses and even a photo of a minor struck in a crash that “spread like wildfire.”
China admits cars could spy on militaries
Since 2021, China has banned or restricted Tesla vehicles on military complexes and other sensitive government areas. The Chinese government admits there’s at least a potential for a vehicle to collect sensitive data and transfer it overseas.
Nicholas Eftimiades, a retired US senior intelligence officer who teaches homeland security at Pennsylvania State, explained how a Chinese automaker might become involved in espionage. “China uses a ‘whole of society’ approach to conduct worldwide espionage.” Chinese citizens are required by law to support the government’s espionage efforts. “[It] is unlike the efforts of any Western government. The sheer volume of activity makes it impossible to counter.”
So should Poland be worried? After a Greek Air Force officer was charged with spying for China, Eftimiades said, “Nations spy against other militaries to give them an advantage in war. Despite all the proclamations of friendship and economic engagement, China continues to evolve as a threat to democracies worldwide.”
The Polish army was quick to say its new guidelines are consistent with practices in other NATO countries. It is actually requiring all cars that record location, video, and sound only be allowed into military areas once those capabilities are switched off. Chinese cars are especially popular in Poland, making up 8% of auto sales in 2025.
