Police told to switch bodycams to flight mode to avoid detection by criminals

Four Corners exposed a security flaw in Axon tasers and body-worn cameras, which are used by police forces across Australia. (Four Corners: Sissy Reyes) On Monday night, Victoria Police issued an urgent safety alert to its members, advising them to take precautionary measures including deactivating body-worn cameras during raids and covert work, after Four Corners exposed a security flaw with the devices. The advice has since been updated to include a "flight mode" option when detection is a risk. Victoria Police said it was conducting a risk assessment of the issue and engaging with Axon about what safeguards could be put in place. Link copiedShareShare articleThousands of police officers have been told to disable the bluetooth on their Axon body-worn cameras during raids and undercover jobs to avoid being detected and tracked, after Four Corners exposed a security flaw with the devices. Four Corners revealed on Monday that Axon-branded tasers and body-worn cameras, used by police in every state and territory, could inadvertently reveal the real-time locations of officers who were undercover or in tactical units. On Monday night, within minutes of the Four Corners episode concluding, Victoria Police issued an urgent safety alert to its members, advising them to take precautionary measures while it conducted a risk assessment of the issue. The high-risk safety alert sent to 15,000 officers warned that the security flaw in bluetooth-enabled policing equipment could have "severe" consequences for them on the front line. The devices, which do not have the same built-in privacy settings included in most mobile phones, can be detected and tracked with a simple phone app. A hacker showed Four Corners how the security flaw could reveal the real-time locations of officers carrying Axon devices. (Four Corners: Sissy Reyes) A hacker who discovered the flaw wrote to every police agency in the country two years ago, warning of the vulnerability. At the time, Victoria Police assessed the threat internally and found the risk to be real. But in 2024 police executives ultimately dismissed it as a non-issue after speaking with Axon, the US tech giant that manufactures and supplies tasers and body-worn cameras to police forces across Australia and around the world. The "hazard alert" issued on Monday night, authorised by an acting assistant commissioner, stated that "following recent media reporting, concerns have been raised regarding the potential for Bluetooth Low Energy emissions … to be detected and alert of police presence". It described the risk rating to its officers as "high", with potential consequences to their safety to be "severe" but "unlikely", and set out a series of steps to "mitigate any operational risks". Officers were told to switch off their Axon devices if they were storing them away from work and that they might "deactivate" their body-worn cameras during covert jobs and "unannounced building entries". Contact Grace Tobin on gtobin@protonmail.com The internal advice was in stark contrast to public statements being made by police and state governments. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said earlier this week that police had reassured her the vulnerability was not a problem for officers. "I can understand that this is a concern that's been raised nationally," she said on Monday. "My advice from Victoria Police is that there has not been identified any unauthorised access for tasers and these other devices." At a press conference on Tuesday, Acting Queensland Police Commissioner Brett Pointing also played down concerns for officer safety. "We think the risks are minimal, but regardless, we're working very closely with the providers of that technology and other jurisdictions to ensure that our officers are safe," he said. Police unions and associations have demanded urgent action to protect officers. Last night, Victoria Police issued an additional "hazard alert" informing officers that it continued to work with Axon on the issue. The latest advice says that tasers do not emit bluetooth "while in a passive state" and only when the device is "activated". Victoria Police would not confirm whether it had tested this independently or was solely relying on advice from Axon. In a statement it said: "Victoria Police has conducted necessary inquiries and is satisfied Tasers do not emit bluetooth low energy when in a passive state." The hacker who tipped off Four Corners to the security flaw was able to detect and track dozens of Axon tasers as well as body-worn cameras outside a Melbourne police station using a publicly available app. A major security flaw means the location of devices used by police, potentially including undercover officers and those travelling home, is visible to anyone with a phone or laptop. The new advice tells officers to set their body-worn cameras to "flight mode" in situations where detection is a risk. But it warns that "flight mode" will disable or interfe

Police told to switch bodycams to flight mode to avoid detection by criminals

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