‘Manipulate’: The growing car safety risk no one’s talking about While modern cars offer unparalleled convenience, some experts warn that they can be used to facilitate serious crimes. 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. 'Manipulate a victim's movements' 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