Norwegian Army Finds Hidden Dashcam Footage in Rented Chinese Vehicles

The Norwegian Defence Forces discovered that several rental cars supplied by a Chinese manufacturer were continuously recording video during military training exercises, prompting an internal review of equipment procurement and data‑privacy protocols.

According to the army’s logistics unit, the vehicles – equipped with built‑in dashcams mandated by Chinese regulations – automatically stored footage of soldiers boarding, moving inside the cars and entering security codes on onboard consoles. The recordings were not disclosed to the troops at the time of rental.

Personnel who noticed the recordings after the exercises reported the matter to their superiors and subsequently erased the video files. The deletions were carried out before any formal investigation could retrieve the material, raising concerns about potential loss of evidence and the handling of sensitive operational data.

The incident occurred against a backdrop of limited availability of alternative transport options for the armed forces. A shortage of domestically sourced vehicles forced the army to rely on short‑term rentals to meet mobility needs during training periods, a practice that has become more common as defence budgets tighten.

While dashcams are standard in many Chinese‑produced cars to comply with local traffic‑monitoring laws, their presence in military contexts abroad is less understood. Experts note that such devices can capture valuable data for accident reconstruction but also pose privacy and security risks when used in sensitive environments.

Norway’s defence ministry has said it will assess the contractual terms of the rental agreement and explore whether additional safeguards, such as disabling recording functions, are required for future procurements. The case underscores the challenges militaries face when integrating commercially available technology into operational settings, especially when the equipment originates from jurisdictions with different data‑collection norms.