Polish experts see Chinese smart cars as a security threat

(Patria) - Poland has begun to restrict the use of Chinese cars, fearing that these "smart" vehicles equipped with the latest technology could be used for espionage, cyber attacks, or for military purposes, it was reported on the Tagesschau program of the German television ARD.

- We tend to think of a car only as a vehicle that takes us from point A to point B - said Paulina Uznańska, an analyst at the Warsaw Centre for Eastern Studies and author of the report "Smartphones on Wheels - Intelligent Cars from China and Europe's Cyber Security", which has attracted considerable attention.

In an interview with Polish radio TokFM, she said that the Chinese are global leaders in the development of intelligent vehicles, which are equipped with numerous sensors, high-resolution cameras, and radars, enabling detailed data collection on both what is happening inside the vehicle and its surroundings.

And this data, according to her, in the worst-case scenario, can be used for espionage, cyber attacks, or for military purposes.

This finding of hers, writes the Tagesschau website, has also begun to be shared by the Polish Ministry of Defense, which, although no official decision has been made yet, confirmed to the media that cars from Chinese manufacturers are no longer allowed to drive on military property or park near strategically important facilities.

Military personnel, as stated, will also be prohibited from connecting their official phones to the internal computers of Chinese cars.

Political scientist and Asia expert Marcin Przychodniak said that these are primarily precautionary measures, like a kind of "vaccine against a disease that is not known for sure whether it will break out, but which is very likely".

Tagesschau also writes that until now, the issue of Chinese cars has not been a particular topic in Poland, and on the contrary, sales of new Chinese vehicles have tripled in the past year alone.

Kamil Makula, head of the car sales portal superauto.pl, says that Chinese cars are not only on average 15 to 20 percent cheaper, but are also equipped with the latest technology.

- Poles are crazy about technological innovations, they like it when there is a lot of electronics. After all, we also change our TVs and computers very quickly with new models - added Makula.

However, the more smart Chinese cars on Polish roads, the more accurate the data they can collect. Uznańska therefore also studied how the Chinese themselves treat such technologies for her report.

- We can observe that the Chinese approach foreign manufacturers of smart cars with great caution. They are aware that there are real risks and try to protect themselves from them with their regulations - said Uznańska.

She added that they do this through strict rules for foreign manufacturers, which are constantly updated along with technological advancements.

She also warned that it would be beneficial for Europe to take a closer look at these Chinese regulations, because, although the EU is currently assessing the threat of smart vehicles to cyber security, it still lags behind China in this regard.