AIVD cautions officials against confidential talks inside modern connected cars
The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service warned that today's connected vehicles can be used for espionage and advised ministers, civil servants and executives not to hold sensitive conversations inside them.
The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) issued a notice to Dutch officials and companies handling classified material, warning that connected cars function like mobile listening rooms. The agency’s three-page explainer details how vehicles continuously collect data on passengers, the car itself and nearby objects, with the information stored on networked systems vulnerable to state-sponsored requests or hacking.
Remote activation of built-in microphones and emergency-call modules means conversations can be intercepted, prompting the AIVD to advise against confidential talks inside or close to the vehicle. Recommendations include turning off wireless charging, not pairing phones via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, employing USB data blockers when cables are needed, and keeping cars equipped with outward-facing cameras away from sensitive locations. While the warning does not name any specific country or brand, allied services have already labeled new cars as “microphones on wheels,” and some German military sites ban Chinese-made models for this reason.
Why it matters
Connected cars can expose sensitive government discussions to foreign espionage, risking national security.
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