Technology · 2026-10-17 · Morning briefing

Norway finds Chinese-made cars filmed sensitive military data

During a military exercise at Oslo airport in September, Norwegian Home Guard soldiers discovered their rental vehicles had recorded sensitive information, including access codes to secure sites and the movements of officials. The cars, supplied by Hertz Norge, included at least two from the Deepal brand, made by the state-controlled Chinese carmaker Changan. Hertz Norge is itself indirectly owned by another Chinese auto group, Geely.

A Home Guard spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Per Gunnar Grosberghaugen, confirmed that soldiers found the videos stored in the vehicles' systems. Norway's National Security Authority described modern cars as "rolling computers that collect information," with an official admitting, "We don’t know for sure where the information is sent or what it’s used for." Hertz insisted its customers' data was safe but did not specify if video had been transferred to the manufacturer.

The incident follows tests last year for Oslo's transport authority which found that Chinese-made Yutong electric buses could theoretically be immobilised remotely. The security risk from connected devices is not limited to vehicles; in March, the French newspaper Le Monde located the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in near real-time by tracking a sailor's fitness app.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

Read the sources

• Did Chinese cars squeal on Norway’s military?
• Norway’s military rents Chinese cars with dashcams, and, surprise, they record military exercises
• Norwegian military exercise under scrutiny as Chinese cars filmed soldiers
• Chinese-Made Rental Cars Filmed Norwegian Troops and Gate Codes
• Chinese-Owned Rental Cars Recorded Norwegian Soldiers During Exercise, Captured Military Gate Codes

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