'Don't charge your phone in Chinese electric cars', defence firms tell staff
inews.co.uk
Fears over espionage from Beijing have led defence companies to advise staff to exercise caution if they own Chinese-built cars

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British firms working for the UK’s military or intelligence services are advising staff not to connect their mobile phones to Chinese-made electric cars over fears that Beijing could steal sensitive national security data.

Executives at two of the nation’s leading defence giants have told The i Paper that the entire sector is taking a “cautious” and “belt and braces” approach to the possibility of the Chinese state spying on staff via the country’s electric vehicles (EVs).

The security clampdown within the UK’s highly secretive defence sector follows revelations from The i Paper that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has banned cars relying on Chinese technology from sensitive military sites across the country. In some cases, the MoD has asked staff to park their EVs at least two miles from their workplace.

[…]

The latest disclosure of security worries relating to Chinese EVs could also raise concern among some EV buyers, who are increasingly turning to brands like BYD because of their affordability and longer range.

The role of Chinese companies and equipment in critical infrastructure was brought sharply into focus after the government was recently forced to take control of British Steel from its Chinese owner, Jingye Group, to prevent it from closing blast furnaces at the country’s last virgin steelmaking site.

It is understood that the UK’s leading military production groups, including BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, and Raytheon, as well as US defence giant Lockheed Martin and French defence and cyber security firm Thales, are among those firms that have taken precautions against the potential for Chinese EVs to spy on their staff.

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    • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
      7·
      16 hours ago

      There’s some phone that’s made in Germany that I remember. It is not competitive, but it exists.

      kagis

      Gigaset.

      https://www.gigaset.com/hq_en/

      Smartphones Made in Germany

      Gigaset is the only company in the world that produces smartphones in Germany. That is a statement. And only consistent, because we have been manufacturing modern telecommunications solutions at the Bocholt production site for seven decades now.

      kagis more

      Apparently also Hungary:

      https://mobilityarena.com/european-cell-phone-brands/

      List Of Smartphones That Are Made In Europe

      Gigaset, the German phone maker, produces their cordless phones, smartphones, and smart home systems in Germany, making it one of the few cell phone brands that still manufacture on the old continent.

      In September 2023, HMD Global began to manufacture the Nokia XR21 in Europe, specifically in Hungary. That is it. I am aware of only two European cell phone brands that do any manufacturing in Europe today in 2023.

      I don’t think that we make any phones in the US any more.

      https://usamadeproducts.biz/electronics-cell-phones.html

      There hasn’t been a truly USA made phone since the mid-2000’s when ever increasing demand and competition resulted in most phone companies shifting production off-shore to Taiwan, and now China, Vietnam and India.

      They do list the Liberty Phone, which is an extremely expensive, low-end phone ($2k, 4GB RAM) with some major components manufactured in the US and assembled in the US.

      https://puri.sm/posts/introducing-the-liberty-phone/

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      4·
      17 hours ago

      From Western chips, depending on brand. IIRC Xiaomi phones are already banned for government officials and contractors.

      • aeshna_cyanea@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        17 hours ago

        But who’s to say they aren’t adding something a little extra to the firmware on those chips

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          2·
          9 hours ago

          Probably the NSA. They’d get really touchy if the latest batch of iPhones had unauthorized modifications, and definitely are checking.

        • Kjell@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          10 hours ago

          Are the chips made in China or Taiwan? Taiwan could of course also add extra features, but it is unlikely that they share it with China.

          • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
            3·
            9 hours ago

            Western chips of any significance are made in Taiwan or even closer to home. The West is actually very particular about this for exactly this reason, and also just to stop China from getting too powerful.