Connected cars have made driving easier and safer, but they’re collecting more data than ever and most drivers don’t know where that information is going.

Modern vehicles are packed with so much technology they’re being likened to a smartphone on wheels, tracking everything from the routes you take on maps to what you say via voice recognition, and even data from simply connecting your phone via Bluetooth.

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They used to be a cone of silence, now in modern cars you don’t know who’s listening.

“I was singing a song the other day and then all of a sudden it started asking me questions,” a driver revealed.

“It learns where you go, where you live, where your kids go to school, what you care about,” Griffith University’s Dr David Tuffley said.

It has become an issue that’s prompted a national security warning to politicians that people may be able to get that information.

The concern is particularly acute with Chinese-built vehicles, which now account for a third of new car sales in Australia.

There are sensors littered throughout new BYDs, with cameras to make sure drivers are watching the road and voice command listening for hands-free control.

Chinese-built vehicles are of particular concern. Credit: 7NEWS

The difference with the cars, experts say, is where they were made. Laws in China give their government ultimate control over data collection.

“Really get across the car’s privacy settings and what information is actually being shared,” 7NEWS tech expert Shaun White said.

While the US is preparing to outlaw certain internet-connected cars due to surveillance fears, valuable data from Australian drivers can be stored offshore, sold, or even hacked by cyber criminals.

BYD didn’t respond to questions about their data collection practices.