German Intelligence Chief Warns Tesla Cars Could Be Used by US for Espionage

Darwin, November 14: A senior German intelligence official has warned that the United States could potentially use internet-connected Tesla vehicles to conduct espionage in Germany, raising concerns over the security risks posed by modern cars equipped with advanced data-collection technology.

Stephan Kramer, head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in the German state of Thuringia, issued the warning. His comments have intensified calls for restrictions on parking internet-connected vehicles near sensitive government and military facilities.

Tesla is a US-based electric vehicle manufacturer led by Elon Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump. The company operates a major manufacturing facility near Berlin, making it one of the few foreign carmakers with a significant production presence in Germany.

Kramer made the remarks while discussing restrictions on internet-connected vehicles entering sensitive areas of German military bases. The proposed security measures would apply to all connected vehicles, including Teslas, regardless of their manufacturer.

“We should not assume that friends do not spy on each other. The same security standards should apply to all car manufacturers, including Tesla,” Kramer told German business newspaper Handelsblatt on Friday.

Modern vehicles can collect sensitive data

Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has warned that most new vehicles sold in the country have the technical capability to collect and transmit data.

Such vehicles can gather location information, camera footage and data from various sensors before transmitting it to manufacturers’ central systems.

However, Handelsblatt reported that there is currently no specific evidence that such information has been used for espionage.

According to the BSI, vehicle owners are often unaware of what information their cars collect and where that data is transmitted.

Kramer warned that cameras and location-tracking systems in connected vehicles could capture sensitive information.

In the case of German military facilities, such information could potentially reveal details about military infrastructure, operational procedures and personnel.

He described restrictions on such vehicles as “strongly recommended and therefore appropriate”.

Calls for restrictions near sensitive facilities

The Thuringian intelligence chief has called for similar restrictions at particularly sensitive government buildings, police facilities, intelligence agencies and other security-related institutions.

He suggested establishing designated parking areas for connected vehicles or imposing restrictions on where they can enter and park.

Kramer also advised government employees not to discuss confidential matters inside internet-connected vehicles.

German lawmakers raise security concerns

Several German lawmakers have expressed support for the concerns raised by Kramer.

Among them are Marc Henrichmann, a lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Johannes Schätzl, the Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) parliamentary spokesperson for digital policy.

Speaking to Handelsblatt, Henrichmann said Germany should not be naive about modern espionage threats.

“We must not be naive. Today, espionage is not carried out only through agents, but also through the technologies that we ourselves bring into our facilities,” he said.

Schätzl expressed particular concern about vehicles manufactured by China’s BYD.

Describing such vehicles as “black boxes”, he said: “We do not know exactly what kind of data is being collected or who has access to it.”

The debate highlights growing concerns in Germany over the security implications of connected vehicles, particularly around military and government installations.

While no specific evidence has been presented that Tesla vehicles have been used for espionage in Germany, intelligence officials and lawmakers are calling for stricter precautions to protect sensitive information.

Source: RT, citing Handelsblatt