Are our cars spying on us? A cybersecurity expert explains how to stay safe

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Jun 01, 2026 · 718 words · By Dennis B Desmond

National Security Data privacy Technological Surveillance

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What to know about National Security

The article discusses a warning from Australia's ASIO regarding the risks of discussing classified information in vehicles, particularly 'connected cars'. It details the types of data these vehicles collect, the privacy concerns associated with manufacturers, and provides steps for consumers to protect their data.

Propaganda risk 20%

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Australia’s spy agency issued a stark warning to politicians and public servants last week: do not discuss sensitive or classified information in vehicles.

Why it matters

Speaking at senate estimates, ASIO Deputy Director-General Lisa Alonso Love said the warning concerned “any vehicle, whether it’s connected or not”.

Common ground

But she added that “connected vehicles” may come with additional risks for data collection.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this National Security story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Of the 25 vehicles Mozilla reviewed, none passed their privacy review?
How does this story connect National Security with Data privacy over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/are-our-cars-spying-on-us-a-cybersecurity-expert-exp…

analyticsAnalysis

20%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 60% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

schedule Pending 2

help

Claim 1: “Of the 25 vehicles Mozilla reviewed, none passed their privacy review.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the specific results of Mozilla's review of 25 vehicles.

help

Claim 2: “According to a 2023 report by software company Mozilla, vehicles are the most egregious for collecting personal information and violating privacy norms.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the 2023 Mozilla report regarding vehicles and privacy norms.

info

Claim 3: “Almost all major cars sold in Australia with “connected services” collect and transmit driver and passenger data to the vehicle manufacturer.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for this claim returned dictionary definitions of the word 'most' and unrelated education plans, providing no factual evidence regarding car data transmission in Australia.

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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · The meaning of MOST is greatest in quantity, extent, or degree. How to use most in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/most

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web search NEUTRAL — For more information about MOST — Missouri's 529 Education Plan, download a Program Description, Privacy Policy, and Participation Agreement or request one by calling 888-414-MOST.
https://www.missourimost.org/

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web search NEUTRAL — We use the quantifier most to talk about quantities, amounts and degree. We can use it with a noun (as a determiner) or without a noun (as a pronoun). We can also use it with adjectives and adverbs to…
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/most

verified

Claim 4: “According to the Australian Signals Directorate, any vehicle that is connected to the internet, either through an embedded SIM card or a paired smartphone, can be considered a connected vehicle.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) is identified as a statutory agency, the provided evidence does not contain the specific definition of a 'connected vehicle' attributed to the ASD.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, is a statutory agency of the Government of Australia responsible for signals intelligence, providing intelligence su…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Signals_Directorate

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Australian intelligence community (AIC) and the National Intelligence Community (NIC) or National Security Community of the Australian Government are the collectives of statutory intelligence agen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_intelligence_commun…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO) is an Australian government intelligence agency that is part of the Department of Defence responsible for the collection, analysis, and distri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Geospatial-Intellig…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Vehicles can generate 1 to 2 terabytes of raw data per car each day.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources discuss high volumes of data generation; specifically, one source explicitly states an SDV can generate 'up to 2 terabytes of raw data per day'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mar 31, 2023 · Typically, modern cars consist of more than 100 sensors that can yield up to 25 GB of connected car data a day.
https://www.facebook.com/nxpsemi/posts/connected-autonomous-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mar 3, 2026 · An SDV can generate up to 2 terabytes of raw data per day, depending on the complexity of its IoT, telematics and sensor systems.
https://www.sonatus.com/blog/how-orchestration-helps-solve-t…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Connected vehicles have a plethora of sensors, GPS trackers and module connections. Meaning vehicles can generate 30 terabytes of data per day when operating.
https://www.high-mobility.com/

verified

Claim 6: “seven models of Chinese electric vehicles were added to the list of taxpayer-funded cars available to federal politicians, representing 30% of the vehicles now available under the parliamentarian vehicle scheme.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence consists of general Wikipedia entries about electric vehicles, the number seven, and Australia-China relations, but contains no specific information regarding the parliamentarian vehicle scheme or the percentage of Chinese EVs available.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Consular relations between the Qing dynasty and Australia were first established in 1909, and diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (ROC) were established in 1941. Australia continued to rec…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia–China_relations

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "Democracy Manifest" (also known by "Succulent Chinese Meal" and other names) is an Australian viral video and internet meme. It was recorded in 1991 for a news segment by the reporter Chris Reason an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Manifest

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seve…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_World

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “A study by consulting firm McKinsey found 50% of cars on the road in 2021 had internet connections and predicted the number will rise to 95% by 2030.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One web search result mentions a McKinsey report regarding the computing power and data processing of cars, but it does not explicitly confirm the 50% in 2021 and 95% by 2030 statistics mentioned in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Beverlee McKinsey (born Beverlee Magruder; August 9, 1935 – May 2, 2008) was an American actress. She is best known for her roles on daytime serials, including Iris Cory Carrington on Another World an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverlee_McKinsey

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of notable former employees of McKinsey & Company, a management consulting firm founded in 1926. This group is often referred to as a group in its own right. According to the c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_employees_of_Mc…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — McKinsey & Company (informally McKinsey or McK) is an American multinational strategy and management consulting firm that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McKinsey_&_Company

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 8: “According to vehicle privacy disclosures reviewed by Mozilla, manufacturers use data for product evaluation and improvement. However, it is also made available for sale to affiliates and data aggregators where it is repackaged and sold.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 9: “Great Wall Motor’s policy states its data is transmitted to Singapore but is available for analysis in China.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence mentions Great Wall Motor and general data transfer to China for some vehicles, but does not specifically confirm a policy stating data is transmitted to Singapore and then available for analysis in China.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. Designed by a government committee led by deputy prime minister Toh Chin Chye, it remaine…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Singapore

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ora Lightning Cat (Chinese: 欧拉闪电猫; pinyin: Ōulā Shǎndiàn Māo) is a battery electric mid-size sedan produced by Chinese EV manufacturer Ora, a marque of Great Wall Motor since 2022. It is marketed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ora_Lightning_Cat

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), commonly known as the Journal, is an American newspaper based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and financ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wall_Street_Journal

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Australia’s spy agency issued a stark warning to politicians and public servants last week: do not discuss sensitive or classified information in vehicles.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that ASIO issued a warning to politicians and public servants regarding the discussion of classified information in vehicles.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Audio Stream Input/Output (ASIO) is a computer audio interface driver protocol for digital audio specified by Steinberg, providing high data throughput, synchronization, and low latency between a soft…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Stream_Input/Output

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO / ˈeɪzioʊ /) is the national security and intelligence agency of the Australian Government, responsible for protecting Australia and its citizen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Security_Intelligen…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 10, 2026 · ASIO4ALL Official Home Universal Windows ASIO Driver English
https://asio4all.org/about/download-asio4all/

schedule

Claim 11: “In 2023, Reuters revealed Tesla employees privately shared highly invasive videos and images that had been collected from customers’ cars.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “Speaking at senate estimates, ASIO Deputy Director-General Lisa Alonso Love said the warning concerned “any vehicle, whether it’s connected or not”.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly mention ASIO Deputy Director-General Lisa Alonso Love stating at senate estimates that the warning applies to 'any vehicle, whether it's connected or not'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jun 9, 2026 · Australia's domestic intelligence agency has formally warned politicians and public servants not to discuss classified or sensitive ...
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shanksjosh_connectedcars-data…

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 2, 2026 · Clint Greenway people used to say the same thing about Japanese cars when they entered the Australian market. Try living in Singapore.
https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSQld/posts/demand-for-electric-…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 31, 2026 · Speaking at senate estimates, ASIO Deputy Director-General Lisa Alonso Love said the warning concerned “any vehicle, whether it's connected or ...
https://theconversation.com/are-our-cars-spying-on-us-a-cybe…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.