Net Zero Madness Reaches Insane Levels in UK Government…
The UK Government is so insanely committed to achieving Net Zero goals by 2050 that they are willing to compromise the security of the country. In 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a contract to car maker MG, a brand now owned by the Chinese company SAIC Motor, for the supply of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) to its staff. SAIC is a Chinese state-owned company, a fact that is impossible for the MoD not to have known before ordering the new vehicles. As a state-owned enterprise, SAIC is seen as an extension of state policy, where its actions can reflect or be in response to directives from the government. In return, SAIC receives state subsidies for BEV production (hence the low prices) and export incentives.
Vehicle Snooping Tech Compromises UK MoD
It wasn’t until February 2025, that concerns over national security finally led the MoD to issue warnings to its personnel. They were advised to avoid discussing sensitive information in these vehicles, with fears that the Chinese-made cars might be equipped with microphones capable of recording conversations. This must surely now highlight the problem of integrating sustainability goals with the imperative of national security, especially considering the rapid rollout of these vehicles planned for the next two years.
Electric vehicles are equipped with advanced telematics, over-the-air (OTA) updates, GPS tracking and internet-connected infotainment systems, many of which could theoretically be exploited for data collection or surveillance. The warning issued to MoD staff suggests that officials are finally recognising this risk long after the contract was signed, rather than proactively assessing it beforehand. This highlights serious concerns about whether modern BEVs, particularly those manufactured by companies linked to foreign governments, pose an espionage risk.
Warning! Your Private Conversations Are Being Recorded
What is not addressed by the warning issued by the MoD to its staff is that, like every new electric vehicle today, the MGs may collect all vehicle telemetry and GPS data every time the car is used. This means the collection of a comprehensive database of personal information, combined with every journey to work, home, school drop-off and everywhere in between. Combine this data with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Chinese government can build an accurate picture of the UK defence profile. Alarm bells should have been ringing in 2024!
The exact text of the message sent to MoD employees driving the MGs isn’t publicly detailed. However, the general intent of the message can be summarised:
Security Warnings
The message explicitly warned MoD employees to refrain from discussing classified or sensitive information while inside these Chinese-made electric vehicles. The concern was primarily centred around the likelihood that these vehicles are equipped with microphones that could record conversations, potentially compromising national security.
Reason for Concern
The vehicles from MG were flagged due to fears of their surveillance capabilities, something all new vehicles are capable of, and are most likely doing to hapless consumers already. This concern was heightened because the vehicles are used by senior officers and staff who might discuss sensitive matters during transit.
Contextual Warnings
Employees were advised to be cautious about what they say in these vehicles, suggesting that discussions should be limited to non-sensitive topics. This is consistent with broader security practices where sensitive discussions are to be held in secure environments.
Official Statements
A spokesperson from the MoD emphasised the strict security procedures in place to protect sensitive information, indicating that this warning was part of a broader security protocol adjustment in response to these concerns.
BEVs as Surveillance Tools
The concerns surrounding MG cars are not unique to the MoD. Modern vehicles, especially electric cars, are increasingly integrated with internet-connected software, raising privacy and cybersecurity risks.
Some key examples of potential vulnerabilities in MG BEVs and many new cars include:
- Microphone and Camera Surveillance
Many modern BEVs have built-in voice assistants and always-on microphones, which could theoretically be exploited for eavesdropping.
- GPS and Location Tracking
Vehicles constantly send location data to manufacturer servers, raising concerns about who has access to the real-time location data of MoD staff.
- Over-the-Air (OTA) Software Updates
Manufacturers can remotely access and modify a car’s systems, posing risks if access is compromised.
- Data Transmission to Foreign Servers
Many BEV manufacturers collect vast amounts of user data, including driving habits, contact lists (via phone sync) and even messages sent through onboard infotainment systems.
These risks were exemplified when Volkswagen’s electric vehicle data breach was uncovered in 2021, where sensitive customer information was being stored on an unsecured Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud server that anyone could access. Approximately 3.3 million individuals were affected, with 90,000 customers having sensitive data (e.g., driver’s license numbers) exposed. Strangely, this was not widely reported by the media as one might expect. The breach raised concerns that electric vehicle manufacturers are collecting, processing and storing detailed information about customers, their vehicles and their journeys. Alarmingly, none of Volkswagen’s customers were even aware that user data was being collected and was not adequately protected. This reinforces the argument that governments must consider cyber and national security when awarding contracts for any new vehicles.
Why Was National Security Not the First Priority?
Given the UK government’s history of restricting Chinese technology firms over security risks – including banning Huawei from 5G networks – it’s perplexing that the MoD approved a contract with a Chinese state-owned automaker without a comprehensive security review. A full enquiry must now be held into how and why such decisions are being made. Perhaps there is a focus on cost over security as, thanks to state handouts, MGs are among the most affordable electric cars in the UK.
In the uncompromising rush to implement Net Zero policies, which some might describe as moronic and devastating to UK taxpayers, the government appears to have lost all its faculties and is no longer able to think rationally. Prioritising emissions targets over national security is quite simply absurd. Without doubt, there does appear to be a lack of awareness by consumers that the modern cars they drive are now adorned with snooping tech and can easily be weaponised as instruments of surveillance. However, one might expect the MoD to be a bit more clued-up than the average motorist.
Data Privacy Concerns
It is likely that consumers buying electric vehicles these days are oblivious that it has the capability to record everything they do with their cars and everything they do inside them. Perhaps this can act as a warning to us all and call for automakers to be transparent about data privacy issues. All customers, whether government or private buyers, must now be made fully aware of how car manufacturers are collecting and processing their data and, of fundamental importance, where it is being stored. These companies must first seek express permission from their customers before they can be allowed to collect and process any information. It is about time the lid is opened to this nefarious and subversive practice, so it can be stopped and automakers made to adhere to data protection laws.
Open Door Security Breach
What is clear is that net zero is no longer just an expensive folly into an unwanted world of electrification at great cost to UK citizens. It is also a national security and data privacy issue. Despite the serious implications, media coverage of the MoD’s MG contract has been surprisingly limited. The purpose of the message by the MoD was to address potential security risks associated with using these vehicles for official transport, urging discretion in conversations to safeguard against possible eavesdropping by foreign entities. However, it doesn’t address the simple fact that even if MoD staff avoid having sensitive conversations, everything else they do in their cars is most likely being logged, recorded, stored and analysed, probably by AI. This isn’t so much a covert security attack but a full-frontal open-door breach from within, enabled by inept government officials who are paid to know better.
You may want to read: “The Truth About EV Fire Risks.”
