9 Chinese Car Brands Pass Data Security Test, Including BYD and Chery

KatadataOTO – The security of personal data obtained through various advanced features in the latest vehicles, especially Chinese cars, is often a concern for many parties.

This is because data such as biometrics, owner's voice, daily routes, and driving habits can be misused if they fall into the wrong hands.

Facing this issue back in 2024, the United States government began to plan a policy to ban autonomous vehicles with technology from China or Russia.

The decision was claimed to have been made considering national security factors and data protection.

Photo: KatadataOTO

The Chinese government has also taken steps to ensure the data security of Chinese car users by conducting independent security tests.

According to Carnewschina, nine automotive brands or companies with a total of 43 vehicle models have successfully passed automotive data security tests, including BYD and Chery.

These include BYD, Chery, Changan, SAIC Group, Beijing New Energy Automobile or BAIC's environmentally friendly vehicle division, GAC Aion, GAC Trumpchi, Changan Ford, and SGMW (SAIC-GM-Wuling).

Unfortunately, the report did not provide details about the models involved in the security testing.

However, it was explained that all tested models have met five national data security criteria.

“This is a form of the Chinese government's commitment to managing vehicle technology and securing personal and organizational data collected by automotive companies,” wrote the Carnewschina report, quoted on Sunday (28/12).

It was further revealed that the data security testing refers to the Vehicle Data Security Management Regulations in China, which have been in effect since 2021.

The policy regulates the collection, storage, use, and transfer of personal information and important data while the vehicle is being used by its owner.

Photo: Changan

All manufacturers that pass the data security tests must be able to process vehicle information internally, anonymize sensitive data, and obtain explicit consent from the vehicle owner regarding data collection.

Furthermore, the Chinese technical standard coded GB/T 41871-2022 also details how companies should manage data from their vehicle users.

The announcement of these findings is expected to provide greater peace of mind for consumers using high-tech vehicles marketed by Chinese brands.