An Australian man has made a startling allegation that his Chinese-made electric car can spy on him using its SIM card.
The man, who drives a BYD EV, shared a video on social media claiming the cars software can listen to his conversations through the SIM card.
SIM cards are now standard in most new cars, and allow for continual, always-on access to the internet and various online services.
But the man warned his BYDs SIM could be dialled by a third party, allowing conversations from inside the vehicle to be transmitted without the driver knowing.
In the video, the man called the cars SIM, and audio from the vehicle was heard on his phone, but there was no indication on the EVs digital display that a call was happening.
There appeared to be no way of ending the call from inside the car, and calling the cars SIM was still possible even when the engine was turned off.
The latest claim followed former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce warning that Australia should follow the US and consider banning Chinese-made EVs over safety and privacy fears.
More than 80 per cent of electric vehicles sold in Australia are manufactured in China, including popular Chinese-owned brands BYD, MG and Geely.
Speaking on Sunday, Mr Joyce questioned whether they could be weaponised for a malevolent purpose.
An Australian who drives a BYD EV posted a video to social media where he claimed the software could listen to what he was saying. Stock image
In the video, the man called the cars SIM, and audio from the car was heard on his phone - but there was no indication on the EVs digital display that a call was happening. Stock image
Both Labor and the Coalition have ruled out a ban, which the US is considering out of fears the technology in these cars posed risks to national security and privacy.
But Mr Joyce said Australia should exercise caution after Israel secretly embedded explosives in hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members, before detonating the wireless devices, killing 12 people and injuring thousands.
After the pager issue … the penny dropped for so many people that there is a capacity remotely to create massive pain, massive hurt, maybe at the least to create complete breakdown and chaos, he told Sky News.
People have got to start asking the questions like if you can update the software, if you can track these vehicles, if theyre made in China, if theres a malevolent purpose behind it from a totalitarian state, what might be the consequences of that?
Last week, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the US would move to ban the electric vehicles out of fears the technology in these cars, including internet-operated cameras, microphones and GPS tracking, posed risks to national security and privacy.
It doesnt take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of citizens, she said.
In an extreme situation, foreign adversaries could shut down or take control of all their vehicles operating in the United States all at the same time.
Despite US concerns, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he wanted Australians to have the maximum range of choice of cars.
We wont be banning vehicles made in any particular country. Well continue to work with all the relevant agencies to ensure that all are necessary arrangements in place but I want Australians have more choice of vehicles to buy, not less, more choice, he said.
In a previous complaint about issues with Chinese car SIMs, a driver said they werent able to hang up the covert call from the car, even by opening the phone app or pressing the pick-up/hangup button on the steering wheel.
Even turning off cellular allowed a call to be taken, so theres no way I can find that an Australian Atto 3 customer can have privacy in their own car if someone was spying on them, they told carexpert.com.au in January 2023.
Another driver said theyd had several calls through their cars SIM, suggesting it may have been previously used in a phone.
I have had four different people somehow ring through to my car... first time I thought someone connected to my Bluetooth, but after the 4th I assumed they somehow are ringing my SIM number, they said.
BYD electric vehicles (EV) are displayed at a car dealership in Shanghai, China, February 3, 2023
Barnaby Joyce (pictured) said Chinese-made electric vehicles could be weaponised for a malevolent purpose
Speaking at the time, BYDs Australian distributor, EVDirect, said it was working with Telstra, the SIM provider, to fix the issue.
There is no risk of exposure for people obtaining car owners details, Luke Todd of EVDirect said.
All data and SIM information is held by Telstra securely.
In a previous complaint about issues with Chinese car SIMs, a driver said they werent able to hang up the covert call from the car, even by opening the phone app or pressing the pick-up/hangup button on the steering wheel.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted BYD for further comment.