The Korea Transportation Safety Authority has reported that there have been no real-world assessments of the cybersecurity and personal data handling systems of Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD. Concerns have been raised that public institutions should not rely solely on the manufacturer's explanations regarding whether the company's headquarters can access domestic vehicle functions or personal data.
During a National Assembly audit of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority on October 8, Rep. Eom Tae-young of the People Power Party questioned Jo In-cheol, the head of BYD Korea's passenger vehicle division. Eom pointed out that while BYD claims to store domestic customer information on Tencent Cloud, its privacy policy mentions Alibaba Cloud.
Using BYD's privacy policy as a basis, Eom stated that certain information, including names, vehicle identification numbers, and email addresses, could potentially be transferred to the company's headquarters in China. When asked if BYD could clearly distinguish between information that can and cannot be accessed by its headquarters, the company responded, "We only transfer the bare minimum of personal data."
Discrepancies in the descriptions of cloud service providers were also highlighted. Eom noted that documents submitted to his office indicated that domestic personal data is stored on Tencent Cloud, while BYD Korea's privacy policy specifies Alibaba Cloud. BYD clarified that both Tencent and Alibaba provide server services and that these are limited to domestic operations.
In response, Eom pressed Jeong Yong-sik, the head of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, about the current status of cybersecurity assessments for BYD vehicles. While the agency has investigated general safety standards for BYD vehicles and identified non-compliance issues leading to recalls, it confirmed that there have been no investigations specifically targeting cybersecurity.
Eom referenced the United States' management of connected vehicle technologies linked to China and Russia from a supply chain and national security perspective, stating, "We are in a situation where we have never conducted verification and are merely trusting the manufacturer's explanations."
He suggested that if connected vehicles, such as Chinese robo-taxis, expand in South Korea, it is essential to verify what information these vehicles collect and where it is transmitted.
In response, Jeong stated, "We are preparing to conduct real-world assessments." He acknowledged the need for verification beyond relying solely on the manufacturer's explanations, saying, "We will ensure that this is done."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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