‘Manipulate’: The growing car safety risk no one’s talking about

Modern internet-connected cars have undoubtedly revolutionised transport, largely in part due to the convenience of advanced technological features such as live GPS tracking and external cameras.

And while these tools can make driving easier for owners, some experts have raised concerns about the car’s ability to harvest and store private information.

There is also a growing concern the technology is being used by perpetrators of domestic and family violence.

According to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, its technology-facilitated abuse support services have flagged a growing risk of perpetrators using these cars to commit crimes.

“We've been receiving a growing number of enquiries from frontline workers with concerns around smart cars that are weaponised against victim-survivors and their children,” she told Drive.

In an April 2026 Drive report, Simon Smith, a cybercrime forensics expert, said that modern connected cars can collect sensitive private driver data.

“Modern connected vehicles collect far more than most drivers realise, and GPS is only a small part of it. Many infotainment systems will also ingest contacts, call logs, and message metadata the moment a phone is paired,” he explained.

“The real concern is the creation of a highly detailed behavioural fingerprint – where they go, how they drive, who they interact with, and at what times,” Smith explained.

According to some experts, smart cars are being used by some offenders to stalk and harass partners.

In a December 2025 Parliament House press conference, Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin confirmed the severity of technologically facilitated domestic abuse offences.

"Even five years [ago], it was 99.3 per cent, so [it's] very ubiquitous... It's the people from the frontlines who are seeing it on a daily basis and the people that are coming to us who are already overwhelmed," Commissioner Cronin said.

While a Victoria Police spokesperson could not confirm how many technologically facilitated stalking reports it has received, they did say that some connected cars can be used as a tool by some offenders.

"Stalking is not a single incident, but a pattern of behaviour over time. Most people have an online presence and a mobile phone, and vehicles may have in-built GPS-enabled tracking that can also be shared," they said.

"All of this creates opportunities for people to misuse technology to contact, track and monitor people. Stalking is an incredibly harmful behaviour, and police take any reports of the crime extremely seriously."

Grant said that without the right laws in place, this form of crime will inevitably grow and escalate.

"Like all technology, without the appropriate guardrails, abuse will only grow and become more sophisticated, in line with technology itself," she said.

While authorities acknowledge the need for protective laws, some say it isn't as clear-cut due to the rapid evolution of technology.

However, some federal regulators said implementing the appropriate legislation isn't easy due to rapid technological advances.

"It is very difficult to legislate as fast as these innovations are occurring, so it is very important that companies themselves build this consideration into the design of their products," Minister for Social Services Tanya Plibersek said at a December 2025 press conference.

"If we are waiting for a year or two years after harms become apparent, before the government can do something about it, countless people have already been harmed by that product," she said.

Grant said a modern vehicle's ability to store private information, such as location, has been exploited by offenders looking to control victims.

“Most smart vehicles have built-in GPS systems and telematics platforms that record trip histories and real-time location and geofencing alerts,” she said.

“If someone has access to any of these apps or features, they can manipulate a victim's movements, create fear and undermine independence."

Australia's eSafety Commissioner said some offenders are using a connected car's remote control features to intimidate and coerce victims.

Concerningly, some perpetrators can also remotely control the vehicle's function, putting more victims at risk.

“Some vehicles allow remote access to external cameras, meaning a perpetrator could park a car somewhere and use it to monitor a victim's comings and goings," Grant explained.

While live location tracking is one of the most serious privacy concerns highlighted by authorities, the eSafety Commissioner asked car companies to implement stricter protocols to better protect victims.

"Companies should take a safety by design approach to identify and engineer out opportunities for abuse by embedding guard rails from the start," she said.

"These should include user-visible audit logs, offering a clear history of account access, location pings and remote commands that can be exported for evidence.

"These are solvable design issues. If manufacturers and tech companies build in the right safeguards from the start, we can prevent a lot of harm before it happens," Grant advised.

Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.

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