Chinese EVs Could Put Canadians Critical of China at Risk: Former Senior Government Official

Chinese EVs Could Put Canadians Critical of China at Risk: Former Senior Government Official
China-made BYD electric cars and other car brands for export are stacked at the Taicang port in Suzhou, in eastern China's Jiangsu province on April 7, 2025. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
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Chinese electric vehicles present risks for Canadians who are critical of Beijing, as the vehicles are capable of sending camera, microphone, and location data back to China, a former senior government official told MPs.

Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a China expert and senior fellow at the University of Ottawa, told MPs on the House of Commons international trade committee on March 12 that Chinese-made vehicles include software from the Chinese technology company Baidu, which collects data from the vehicles and transmits it back to China.