Lead

Australian police officers have been told to disable Bluetooth on their Axon body-worn cameras during raids and undercover operations to avoid being tracked, following the disclosure of a security flaw in the devices. The vulnerability, revealed by ABC's Four Corners program, allows the real-time locations of officers to be detected using a simple phone app, raising serious safety concerns.

Coverage Comparison

The story was covered extensively by ABC Australia across multiple reports, each highlighting different aspects of the issue. One report focused on the urgent demands from police unions for action, while another detailed the technical nature of the flaw and its potential exploitation overseas. A third report emphasized the immediate precautionary measures taken by police services, including a safety alert issued by Victoria Police.

Key Claims

  • According to multiple reports, a security flaw in Axon tasers and body-worn cameras allows officers to be tracked using a smartphone app. The flaw stems from the devices lacking the built-in privacy settings found in most mobile phones, such as MAC address randomization.
  • A hacker who discovered the flaw wrote to every police agency in Australia warning of the vulnerability. The hacker demonstrated how the devices could be detected and tracked, including showing dozens of Axon devices outside a Melbourne police station.
  • Axon has a disclaimer on its website warning police customers that the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radio signals of its cameras can be generally detected, as noted in the reports.
  • Police unions, including the Queensland Police Union and the Police Association of Victoria, have demanded urgent action to protect officers. The Queensland Police Union president wrote to the acting commissioner raising "urgent concerns," and the association said it would meet with senior Victoria Police representatives.
  • Victoria Police issued an urgent safety alert to its members, advising them to take precautionary measures while conducting a risk assessment. The alert, sent to 15,000 officers, described the risk rating as "high" with potential "severe" consequences.
  • A claim that U.S. Border Patrol agents were told to stop using Axon body-worn cameras was carried by a single outlet and has not been independently verified.

Perspectives

Police unions and associations have been vocal in demanding immediate action, emphasizing that officer safety is "non-negotiable." The Queensland Police Union president expressed discomfort with an app that can track officers through their own equipment and sought assurances from police leadership and Axon.

Victoria Police has taken a proactive stance by issuing a hazard alert and conducting a risk assessment. The alert, authorized by an acting assistant commissioner, acknowledged concerns about Bluetooth Low Energy emissions and their potential to alert criminals to police presence.

Axon, the manufacturer, did not respond to questions from Four Corners in one report. However, the company's website acknowledges that its camera signals can be detected, which some sources suggest indicates a failure to implement adequate privacy protections.

Police services had reportedly been warned of the vulnerability two years ago, and while some sought advice from Axon, the issue was dismissed as a non-issue in 2024 after discussions with the company, according to one report. This has led to criticism from those who believe the risk was underestimated.

The reports suggest a need for improved security measures in law enforcement technology, with experts and the hacker attributing the flaw to oversight or inadequate engineering by Axon. The long-term implications for officer safety and the adoption of such devices remain to be seen.