A BYD owner in Australia dialled his own car's SIM number and could listen to everything happening inside — conversations, music, arguments. Nothing appeared on screen. He couldn't hang up from the car. Turning off cellular didn't help. Anyone who knew that number could silently listen to your family driving to school. BYD said they'd fix it, which means it was broken the whole time every other owner drove around with an open microphone. Chinese law literally says every company must cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked. BYD is a Chinese company. Two US Senators wrote to BYD in September 2024 and asked point-blank: is the data you collect from vehicles subject to China's spy law? BYD never publicly answered. They can promise Australian drivers anything they like — but Chinese law overrides company policy, and there's no mechanism to refuse a secret request from Beijing.
What they claim: BYD markets its vehicles as safe and secure, with Australian distributor EVDirect stating BYD "treats the protection of customers' personal information with the utmost importance"
What we found: An Australian BYD owner discovered the car's internal SIM card could be dialled by an external party, transmitting audio from inside the vehicle without any indication on the dashboard. The owner could not hang up the covert call from inside the car — not from the phone app, not from the steering wheel button. The eavesdropping persisted even when the car's cellular setting was turned off. BYD later confirmed it was "working on a fix."
What they claim: BYD markets its vehicles as safe, connected, and suitable for everyday family use in Western markets including Australia, UK, and Europe
What we found: In April 2025, the UK Ministry of Defence banned EVs with Chinese components from sensitive military sites including RAF Wyton (Five Eyes intelligence hub). Staff must park Chinese-made EVs two miles from key buildings. Military chiefs were ordered to stop having conversations in electric cars over fears they could be recorded and transmitted. In 2023, a Chinese tracking device was found in a UK Government car. The US Commerce Department finalized a rule in January 2025 effectively banning all Chinese-made connected vehicles from the American market citing national security.
What they claim: BYD positions itself as a global company operating under local privacy laws in each market (Australian Privacy Act, EU GDPR)
What we found: The NRMA investigation found BYD's policy reserves the right to surveil "improper activities" defined in a separate agreement, including terms such as "insult other countries or regions" and "spread rumors, disrupt social order, and undermine social stability." These are standard CCP censorship categories transplanted into a car company's terms of service. BYD's global legal notice references "relevant Chinese laws" as the governing standard for prohibited content, even on their international-facing properties.
What they claim: BYD markets its connected features — app control, remote monitoring, GPS navigation, voice commands — as convenience and safety features for modern drivers
What we found: Mozilla's Privacy Not Included rated cars as "the worst product category we have ever reviewed for privacy" in September 2023. All 25 car brands failed. 84% collect more data than needed. 76% sell or share personal data. 68% had breaches, hacks, or leaks. 56% share data with government on informal request (no court order needed). None met minimum security standards. The connected features BYD markets as selling points — cameras, GPS, microphones, internet connectivity — are the exact technologies Mozilla identified as enabling mass surveillance of drivers.
What they claim: BYD promises data protection and claims no data transfers to China, marketing itself as privacy-respecting to Australian and European customers
What we found: China's National Intelligence Law (2017) Article 7 states: "All organizations and citizens shall support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts in accordance with law." Article 14 grants intelligence agencies authority to "demand that concerned organs, organizations, or citizens provide needed support, assistance, and cooperation." BYD is incorporated in China. US Senators Blackburn and Peters wrote directly to BYD in September 2024 demanding to know whether information collected from vehicles is "subject to the People's Republic of China National Intelligence Law." BYD did not publicly respond.
What they claim: BYD Australia's distributor EVDirect states BYD "does not transfer any customer data" to its Chinese headquarters and "stores that personal information in Australia, on secure Australian servers"
What we found: EVDirect simultaneously confirmed that "some diagnostic data is shared with the manufacturer for warranty and the improvement of future technology." BYD's manufacturer is headquartered in Shenzhen, China. The NRMA investigation found BYD's privacy policy includes broad terms sharing data with "data sellers, marketers, advertisers and even AI developers." CHOICE Australia flagged BYD among brands where tracking down complete privacy policies was a "wild goose chase."
What they claim: BYD presents itself as a private technology company competing on innovation, with Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway as its most famous investor — suggesting Western market credibility
What we found: A 2019 Radarlock report found BYD founder Wang Chuanfu held CCP People's Congress posts for 15 years (2000-2015). Board supervisor Zou Fei is an expert of the CCP's "Thousand Talents Program." BYD has R&D in at least three "military-civil fusion enterprise zones." In 2019, BYD received a state award for contributions to military technology. BYD grants the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (missile program) access to technologies and data. BYD received $3.7 billion in Chinese government subsidies 2018-2022, with 38.2% of 2025 profits coming from state subsidies.