Victoria
Banned Chinese cameras found in electric vehicles
Cameras from a Chinese manufacturer banned from Australian government buildings over security concerns are now being found inside electric vehicles.
Chinese-made cameras that were banned and removed from Australian federal government buildings over surveillance fears are now being found inside electric vehicles.
According to reporting by wire services, cameras from the same manufacturing company are currently being utilised in electric cars. The discovery comes just a year after a national audit prompted the removal of hundreds of closed-circuit television cameras from government departments and agencies.
The initial ban was implemented due to security concerns regarding the manufacturers of the surveillance equipment. Federal authorities feared the technology could be used for espionage, or that the manufacturers could be compelled to hand over data to foreign intelligence services under overseas laws.
This same camera technology is now being integrated into the camera systems of modern electric vehicles. These vehicles often rely on a network of internal and external cameras for driver monitoring, parking assistance, and autonomous driving features.
At this stage, the specific car manufacturers using these cameras have not been publicly detailed. It is also unconfirmed how many vehicles currently on Australian roads contain the technology, or whether the data captured by the vehicle cameras is transmitted to external servers.
Security experts have previously warned that modern, connected vehicles collect vast amounts of personal and location data. The presence of hardware from banned manufacturers in consumer vehicles is likely to renew debates about privacy and national security.
Watch to see whether federal cyber security agencies or transport regulators launch an official inquiry into the use of these camera systems in the Australian automotive market.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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