Alright degenerates, strap in because this is why Volkswagen might just be the juiciest short of 2025. Spoiler alert: this makes Dieselgate look like a warmup.
My Position: Just opened a -0,4 Delta 80€ put on Volkswagen (Vz.) for 5000 € expiring 19th June 26.
The Chaos Computer Club just (27.12.24) just revealed that Volkswagen (and its subsidiaries Audi, Seat, Skoda) exposed the real-time locations of *800,000 EVs*. That's right – anyone with basic skills could pinpoint where your $40k EV is parked, plus grab your name and contact info. VW literally left their cars and customers wide open for anyone to exploit. Volkswagen’s software arm, Cariad, stored all this sensitive data on Amazon Web Services without proper encryption or safeguards. Let me say that again: **no encryption in 2025.** That's amateur hour for a company that sells millions of cars. Oh, and this isn’t the first time VW screwed the pooch on tech; their software track record is *garbage.*
*Here is the link to their video:* [*https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-wir-wissen-wo-dein-auto-steht-volksdaten-von-volkswagen#l=eng&t=0*](https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-wir-wissen-wo-dein-auto-steht-volksdaten-von-volkswagen#l=eng&t=0)
**Why This Is Bigger Than Dieselgate**
Dieselgate cost Volkswagen over $30 billion in fines, lawsuits, and buybacks. But that was *emissions*. This? This is **personal data** – names, locations, potential stalking targets and members of the BND. We’re living in the post-GDPR era, where the EU doesn’t play nice with data breaches. Fines for mishandling data can be as high as 4% of annual global turnover, which for VW could mean billions. Plus, the reputational damage.
**There has not yet been a Market reaction to the release of this video.**
Also want to give you some reasons why you should not take my advice and short VW:
* Volkswagen is the biggest EV player in Europe with about 25% market share. European people don’t trust Chinese vehicles, and they don’t trust Elon Musk.
* VW is grossly undervalued compared to Tesla. We’re talking €44 billion market cap vs. €1,279 billion for Tesla. VW currently earns those €44 billion every four years.
* CCC did responsible disclosure, and VW already fixed the breach. It will be hard to prove harm done to you.
* The German state is highly invested in VW
* EU regulations require automakers to collect and process vast amounts of data to comply with emissions standards, safety protocols, and EV monitoring. The breach highlights shortcomings, but some responsibility lies with the regulatory framework. ([Source: European Commission Regulation No 2018/858](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32018R0858))
Not financial advice.
https://preview.redd.it/n8ohfkb59dbe1.jpg?width=562&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59a3c932ebac86ba02cedac1fa67560916974602