Researchers drove a NIO ES8 electric SUV deep into a Norwegian underground mine specifically to sever its external connections. The car kept attempting to reach servers, most of them located in China. These findings echo broader concerns about hidden data collection, similar to how a surveillance app was built to covertly target users without their knowledge.
That finding sits at the center of Project Lion Cage, a multi-year study initiated in 2022 by Tor Indstøy, a risk management and threat intelligence executive at Telenor Group. Indstøy purchased the NIO ES8 as a dedicated research platform.
The project arrives as Chinese EV brands expand across European markets with assurances about local data processing. Observed network behavior appears to contradict those assurances.
Yeah, I was just going to say, I honestly don’t really care if the Chinese government knows where my car is.
the classic “Why should I care about my privacy, I’m not doing anything wrong” attitude.
No. The Chinese government has no power over me. It has nothing to do with "doing anything wrong, "
I couldn’t care less if the Chinese government sees my car “doing something wrong” (whatever the fuck that even means in this context. Parking somewhere I’m not supposed to?). I’m not Chinese and have never been to China.
I’ll worry more about my own government’s very real creation of a dystopic surveillance state right here at home.
Have you ever heard about selling things, or data being leaked?
At this point, with literally every single company out there selling everything from my IP, to my toenail size to the lowest bidder, is there really anything left to sell?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t fight for privacy, I’m saying for all practical purposes, we’ve already lost the fight. That’s not a reason to not keep trying though.
But his perfect, wonderful china would never do that! Its only the vile, evil, western countries that do such vile evil things!
Assuming you are in a western nation, There is a degree of legitimacy to be taken with the fact that China are far less capable of weaponising that data against you personally, than the US
What about other things, like remotely stopping your car from operating?