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.
Sure. Don’t worry about this bad behavior, because others engage in it, and it’s not like anyone calls out US tech privacy issues. I struggle to imagine someone naturally reacting this way. Are you for real?
I agree it is something we should worry about and pay attention too, but just because something occurs doesn’t mean it was nefarious on purpose. Apple is better than many, but let’s say you have an iPhone. The iPhone is constantly reaching out and reporting it’s location to the findmy app that is only accessible by the users. If that phone is in a cave performing this test, it will be reaching out continuously similar to this car. Apple doesn’t sell that data, but where it becomes a breach of privacy is that if a judge gives a warrant, Apple has to turn it over. (So suddenly it isn’t only accessible to the user meaning verification is NORMALLY required to allow Apple to access the data, but they could bypass said verification.
So does that mean no one should ever enable find my on their devices… Maybe, but people weigh it against whatever they find useful about it.