China doesn’t like it when entities other than itself are collecting data on citizens without supervision. When it comes to cars, the Chinese government is developing a system to catch cars on streets that send data abroad.
As reported by Reuters, the state-backed China Automotive Engineering Research Institute (CAERI) has come up with a way to determine how data flows in vehicles via a device that can monitor and analyze uploaded data.
Out of precaution over privacy and fears of possible misuse of collected data, China is also requiring auto manufacturers to have local data centers for data collection. Any data to be exported abroad must seek regulatory approval first.
Back in May, Reuters even reported that Chinese government employees were prohibited from parking Tesla cars near government buildings because of the security risks posed by the vehicle cameras. Cars, like smartphones, are equipped with so many sensors that they hold a treasure trove of information on their owners.