Dashcam company BlackVue is broadcasting real-time video feeds of its users’ cameras to all app users around the world, in a potentially concerning privacy issue.
First reported by Australia’s Nine News, BlackVue’s official app includes a world map showing the location of many of its dashcams, which users can tap to watch real-time footage. A red ring around a BlackVue logo on the map indicates that a dashcam is openly viewable to the public, while those without a red ring indicate a vehicle’s location without footage. These appear to be from users who have opted in to sharing their location, but not their live feed.
Mashable downloaded the BlackVue app and was able to view real-time footage from people’s dashcams in countries across the world, including the U.S., Canada, and Australia. These cameras are pinpointed on the in-app world map, down to the exact street the vehicle is located on and how fast it’s travelling. It also includes audio, allowing strangers to listen in on any conversations happening during the drive.
The BlackVue app shows footage from parked vehicles as well, marked with a blue P on the map. BlackVue’s Parking Mode keeps its dashcams running 24/7 off the car’s battery or an external power source, even when the vehicle isn’t in use.
Anyone who downloads the app and makes an account can view these livestreams, even if they don’t have a BlackVue dashcam themselves. Free accounts are limited to 10 minutes of live viewing per day, though buying BlackVue’s paid Smart subscription unlocks unlimited time.
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Mashable has reached out to BlackVue for comment.
Zooming in further reveals the exact locations of these BlackVue dashcams.
Credit: Mashable screenshot: BlackVue
BlackVue appears to have made its dashcam broadcasting feature opt-in rather than opt-out in 2018. Even so, Nine News reports that some users remain unaware of it, speaking to one dashcam owner who was shocked to discover the feature.
“You could keep listening to them, watching them and go from there, it’s bad for predators,” user Alex told Nine News.
This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about this BlackVue dashcam feature. The company previously addressed the matter in a blog post last July, assuring customers that their footage was “private by default.”
“When you first connect your BlackVue dash cam to BlackVue Cloud, your privacy settings are automatically set to private,” wrote BlackVue. “This means your footage stays exactly where it should be — with you. No strangers can access your videos, no public viewing is enabled, and your journeys remain completely confidential unless you wish to share them.”
BlackVue’s website markets its optional Cloud features as a way to check on your car from anywhere, with remote live view and video playback. However, such uses don’t require everyone else with the app to be able to access your footage as well.
If you have a BlackVue dashcam and don’t want to broadcast your live location to the world — and you shouldn’t — it may be a good idea to double check your app’s settings. According to BlackVue, you simply need to open the app, tap on your camera, select “More,” then “Camera Settings” and “Privacy.” From there you can toggle off “Share Location” to keep both you and your camera’s video feed from the world.
