Chinese-Owned Rental Cars Filmed Norwegian Soldiers During Exercise

Chinese-owned rental cars were discovered filming and storing videos of soldiers during a Norwegian Home Guard exercise, according to Dagens Næringsliv. The vehicles, rented through the military from Hertz, are part of the Chinese Geely conglomerate via Volvo Cars. The cars were used in the September exercise Operation Hovedstad in Oslo, where Lieutenant Fredrik Blanck said soldiers found stored footage showing who entered and exited vehicles, travel routes, pickups, and durations at locations. The exercise, held September 14-18, was the Home Guard's largest this year, training leadership, movement, and endurance. The recordings also captured security codes used for gate access, including keycard and code combinations. The cars remained in use due to limited alternatives. Volvo Cars denies any security risk from Chinese ownership, stating no data can be shared with Geely without legal basis.