{"id":648856,"date":"2026-05-04T11:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/648856\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T11:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T11:00:11","slug":"police-unions-demand-answers-over-taser-security-flaw-that-exposes-location-of-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/648856\/","title":{"rendered":"Police unions demand answers over taser security flaw that exposes location of officers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Police unions are demanding urgent action to protect officers following the revelation that a security flaw with Axon tasers and body-worn cameras allows officers to be tracked.<\/p>\n

Four Corners revealed today that bluetooth-enabled devices used by thousands of officers did not have the same built-in privacy settings included in most mobile phones.<\/p>\n

Taser and body-worn cameras can be tracked with a simple phone app, potentially allowing criminals to see the real-time location of officers who are undercover or in tactical units.<\/p>\n

A hacker who discovered the flaw wrote to every police agency in the country<\/a> warning of the vulnerability. While several police services sought security advice from Axon, none appear to have acted.<\/p>\n

‘Urgent concerns’<\/p>\n

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said he wrote to the state’s acting police commissioner “raising urgent concerns” about the vulnerability.<\/p>\n

“This app raises questions and the Queensland Police Union expects there will be answers because officer safety is non-negotiable,” he wrote in a post on social media.<\/p>\n

Mr Prior said he hoped the Queensland Police Service (QPS) had raised the issue with Axon, the US tech giant that sells tasers and body-worn cameras to police around the world.<\/p>\n

“I’m not comfortable with an app out there that can track our officers through their own equipment, because there should never be a risk to officer safety,” he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Prior said he wanted immediate assurances and details of what steps were being taken to safeguard officers.<\/p>\n

QPS did not respond to questions from Four Corners about the bluetooth risks.<\/p>\n

\"Shane<\/p>\n

Shane Prior has written to Queensland Police and Axon for an explanation about the vulnerability. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)<\/p>\n

The Police Association of Victoria (TPAV) told its members it would meet with senior Victoria Police representatives today about the issue.<\/p>\n

TPAV said it was concerned about the potential tactical and safety implications, especially for those in frontline, covert and high-risk roles.<\/p>\n

It wants Victoria Police to “conduct an urgent assessment” to determine the extent of vulnerability within the Axon devices currently used by officers, and advise what technical fixes would be implemented.<\/p>\n

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told a press conference today she had been reassured by Victoria Police.<\/p>\n

“I can understand that this is a concern that’s been raised nationally,” she said.<\/p>\n

“My advice from Victoria Police is that there has not been identified any unauthorised access for tasers and these other devices,” she said.<\/p>\n

NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was “not aware” of the vulnerabilities and would wait to watch the Four Corners program tonight.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The hacker demonstrates to Four Corners how a simple app can locate officers’ tasers and body-worn cameras. (Four Corners: Sissy Reyes)<\/p>\n

‘Puts our officers in danger’<\/p>\n

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Association president Alex Caruana said he had been aware of the security issue affecting the devices “for a little while” and was concerned Axon still had not provided a solution.<\/p>\n

“I think some of the comments that they’ve [Axon] made is that it is only a minor issue,” he told 666 ABC Radio Canberra today.<\/p>\n

“It is only a minor issue and that’s certainly the way that the AFP seem to be dealing with it, but anything that puts our members at risk is really concerning for us.”<\/p>\n

Mr Caruana said the revelation by Four Corners raised serious questions about whether the security flaw had been exploited before.<\/p>\n

“We don’t know, and that’s certainly something I’m sure that law enforcement in Australia is looking at, particularly from the ambush point of view,” he said.<\/p>\n

“When we look at a Dezi Freeman-type of incident where people inside the house might be able to know how many police officers are outside the house \u2026 and what their next step is going to be, that really puts our officers in danger.”<\/p>\n

Hackers can track the location of cops in real time<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Mr Caruana said police forces should be putting pressure on Axon, the manufacturer of tasers and body-worn cameras, to urgently develop a solution, particularly after the Australian hacker who discovered the issue wrote to every police force in the country about the vulnerability in 2024.<\/p>\n

“We need to get a solution to this sooner rather than later, and I think Axon really, as a multi-million-dollar company, really have the solution of putting security checks in place and upgrading the software,” he said.<\/p>\n

“I think two years is more than enough time to allow the manufacturer to go out there and do something about the issue with their product.”<\/p>\n

Axon did not respond to questions from Four Corners.<\/p>\n

The company does have a disclaimer in the fine print on its website warning police customers that “Axon Cameras’ bluetooth and wi-fi radio signals can be generally detected”.<\/p>\n

It states that “operational security considerations be made prior to deploying Axon Cameras in operations where \u2026 detection may result in unintended outcomes”.<\/p>\n

Axon concedes that its setting known as “stealth mode” does not disable the emission of radio signals on its devices.<\/p>\n

The company has previously said it was working on “improvements to address concerns of tracking”, but that came after the release of the T7 and T10 models used in most Australian states.<\/p>\n

Devices used across Australia that are potentially vulnerable to the bluetooth issue:NSW \u2014 Axon body-worn cameras and T7 model tasersVIC \u2014 Axon body-worn cameras and T7 model tasersQld \u2014 Axon body-worn cameras and T10 model tasersWA \u2014 Axon body-worn cameras and T7 model tasersTas \u2014 Planning to trial Axon T10 model tasersNT \u2014 Axon body-worn camerasSA \u2014 SAPOL say their new T10 models are not affected as they will not be bluetooth-integrated with other techAustralian Federal Police (including ACT Policing) \u2014 Axon T7 model tasers<\/p>\n

Watch Four Corners’ full investigation Taser Tactics tonight from 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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