Data leak affecting owners of Volkswagen Group electric vehicles
16.1.2025
Question for written answer E-000182/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Kosma Złotowski (ECR)
According to reports, the Volkswagen Group, a German company, amassed data from 800 000 electric cars. This data, collected from Volkswagen, Seat, Škoda and Audi vehicles, was stored on Amazon Cloud and included information on the cars’ location, battery levels and engine activation and deactivation.
The group that exposed the leak confirmed that the amassed data on the vehicles was easily accessible and could be matched to car owners’ personal data. Against the backdrop of dynamically evolving e‑mobility, this raises the serious question of whether one company amassing so much personal data about vehicles and their drivers’ behaviour breaches the conditions of fair competition on the automotive market.
- 1.Does the activity of the Volkswagen Group, which includes brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and Seat, comply with EU rules on competition, specifically Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, Council Regulation No 139/2004 and Council Regulation No 1/2003?
- 2.Does this activity comply with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council (General Data Protection Regulation), especially the principles on minimising data, limiting their storage, and integrity and confidentiality?
- 3.Does the Commission believe that such large-scale collection of data by an automotive company is justified, can it be classified as customer surveillance, and does it pose a security threat to private individuals?
Submitted: 16.1.2025