Cameras, microphones and remotely updated software in connected electric vehicles are prompting fresh debate about privacy and security safeguards around sensitive Australian sites.
An ABC Four Corners investigation reported that some cameras used in Leapmotor electric vehicles are made by Dahua Technology, a company whose surveillance equipment was previously removed from Australian federal and defence buildings over security concerns.
The Leapmotor C10 has six cameras covering the vehicle's surroundings and interior. Former national cybersecurity adviser Alastair MacGibbon told the program that connected vehicles could collect patterns of activity near government facilities if positioned strategically.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said restrictions already apply to some connected vehicles at sensitive locations, although Australia does not have a blanket ban. The Department of Defence declined to detail its arrangements, and Leapmotor did not respond to the program's questions.
The concerns apply to connected vehicles more broadly; the report gave particular attention to Chinese-made systems because of overseas security policy and China's national-security laws. No evidence was presented that the illustrated or any specific privately owned vehicle had been used for surveillance in Australia.
Source: ABC Four Corners, 21 September 2026.
Image disclosure: The featured image is an AI-generated conceptual editorial illustration of an unbranded vehicle and fictional precinct. It does not depict a Leapmotor vehicle, a real government site or evidence of surveillance.
