Is your Roomba a useful if occasionally goofy household appliance? Or a robot James Bond? The FCC thinks it might be the latter. That's right, robot vacuums are now classified as spies—I mean, risks to national security because they are "advanced robotic devices" produced in foreign nations.
Don't worry, no one is coming to seize your Roomba and take it to robot jail. (Especially because Roomba is owned by an American company!) But the FCC's decision might make it harder to buy new robotic devices, including robot vacuums, pool cleaners, and lawnmowers. For those of you outside of the U.S... Well, enjoy your fancy robots, I guess. Until they steal your state secrets!
Is your Roomba a useful if occasionally goofy household appliance? Or a robot James Bond? The FCC thinks it might be the latter. That's right, robot vacuums are now classified as spies—I mean, risks to national security because they are "advanced robotic devices" produced in foreign nations.
Don't worry, no one is coming to seize your Roomba and take it to robot jail. (Especially because Roomba is owned by an American company!) But the FCC's decision might make it harder to buy new robotic devices, including robot vacuums, pool cleaners, and lawnmowers. For those of you outside of the U.S... Well, enjoy your fancy robots, I guess. Until they steal your state secrets!
