Fresh calls for stronger connected-car privacy regulations in Australia

The Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) has urged regulators to consider strengthening privacy requirements for new internet-connected vehicles.

The group has said that owners of any new vehicle, not just electric cars, equipped with a SIM card could be exposed to risks related to both personal privacy and national security.

The AEVA describes itself as a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation established in 1973, and says it works to switch Australia's transport networks to electric power as quickly as possible.

One of the group's requests is for Australian-based data processing, to ensure motorists' data collected in vehicles is stored and processed in servers locally, rather than overseas and out of Australian regulators' reach.

However, the AEVA would prefer that no data leaves the car at all, instead with all processing done by the vehicle's onboard computer rather than using a cloud-based system that transmits data out of the vehicle.

The group also wants default settings for data sharing preferences to be off in vehicles, and for drivers to easily see what personal data their car's manufacturer holds.

Stronger mandated hacking protection for new vehicles has also been called for by the group, with James Pickering, national President of AEVA, saying the changes would give Australians more trust in new vehicles.

Pickering said: “2026 has been an unprecedented year for electric vehicle uptake in Australia, but consumers nationwide continue to be let down by insufficient data privacy legislation.

“Instead of instigating fear and distrust in the connected vehicles we drive, policymakers have the power to make effective changes to protect drivers and consumer choice.

“From Europe to USA, to China and the rest of Asia, we are lucky to welcome such an incredible range of electric cars to our shores. We are great believers in compliance over country-of-origin and will continue our discussions with government to support consumer choice and protection, while also maintaining national security.”

The increasing availability of connected vehicles has brought new challenges for governments and organisations. 

With newly sold cars in Australia being increasingly Chinese-made, issues over connected cars and national security have become a point of contention in Australian politics.

In 2024, the Shadow Minister for Defence, James Paterson, accused the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, of endangering national security by driving a Chinese-built electric vehicle.

Former advisor to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, cyber security expert Alastair MacGibbon, also regularly appears in the media to voice his concerns that Chinese-built EVs could pose a national security risk.

Other challenges include Australia’s e-safety commissioner issuing a warning late last year that smart cars were being used by domestic abuse and coercive control perpetrators to track partners and even shut off a vehicle remotely.