Concerns raised over potential data leak to China via BYD cars in Korea
With the recent entry by China's BYD into Korea's passenger electric vehicle (EV) market, concerns have been raised over potential personal data leaks to China through the vehicles manufactured by the company, industry observers said Tuesday. The security risks of private data leaks to China emerged following BYD's official entry into the Korean passenger vehicle market last month. BYD's first model launched here, the Atto 3, is equipped with connected car features, such as over-the-air (OTA) software update capability and navigation features, through which sensitive driver data could be transferred to China, according to the market watchers. "BYD must disclose exactly what types of data are collected and how they are processed," said Yom Heung-yeol, professor emeritus of cybersecurity at Soonchunhyang University. He stressed that an "opt-out mechanism," allowing consumers to reject the collection of personal data if they choose, was necessary. BYD Korea has addressed data protection concerns, stating, "We fully understand Korean customers' concerns regarding personal data security and st
Feb 11, 2025By Yonhap
