Modern electric cars probably monitor their owners and passengers much more than previously thought, as an explosion in a Tesla Cybertruck shows.
Surveillance in electric cars is a growing problem, as the explosion in a Tesla Cybertruck in Las Vegas has highlighted.
Using data from Tesla, the police were able to track the car's movements and obtain additional information about the driver.
"I would like to personally thank Elon Musk," said Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at a press conference after the explosion.
– He gave us a lot of extra information. The information included the car's route from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas and other details.
However, the police's information at the press conference should arouse more concern than excitement, especially because it concerns monitoring of drivers.
David Choffnes from the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University points out that the blown-up Tesla is just one example of the extensive surveillance citizens are exposed to today.
"It exposes the extensive surveillance that's going on… When something bad happens, it's useful, but it's a double-edged sword. Companies that collect this data can misuse it," he told Newser .
Several automakers collect vast amounts of data about their customers. General Motors stopped sharing data with LexisNexis and Verisk after reports revealed how detailed this data was and how it in some cases led to higher insurance premiums.
A May 2024 report found that only five out of 14 automakers required a court order to hand over location data to authorities.
In December 2024, German Der Spiegel revealed that a security flaw at Volkswagen allowed unauthorized parties to access GPS data, vehicle status, and other information from 800,000 car owners online.
Kia is an example of an automaker that collects a wide range of personal data, including social security number, driver's license number, precise geolocation, race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data, biometric information, and information about health and sexual orientation.
Kia also collects information about "current or previous jobs held by owners".
The surveillance in electric cars and other modern vehicles raises questions about privacy and data security. It is important to be aware of what data is collected and how it is used.
Here at home, the police also monitor drivers on a large scale. However, the police are not very keen to talk about it. Nevertheless, they have managed to map all the cameras that monitor traffic in Denmark. Read more about it here .
Boosted has also previously reported on how a Swedish cybersecurity researcher warns others against telling anyone anything in a newer Volvo.
The Chinese-owned brand is subject to a so-called security law from the communist dictatorship. The law means that Volvo must hand over information from its cars if the government in Beijing demands it.
