Reason why FCC has now banned these Roombas and other advanced robot vacuums from being sold in US
Bad news for fans of robot vacuum cleaners as new US government restrictions are set to apply to future models of Roombas and other brands as a result of a ban on advanced robotic devices entering the States.
The ban enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) — a US federal government independent agency that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, Wi-Fi, satellite, and cable across the country — is set to expand to robot vacuum cleaners alongside humanoid robots.
This means that all future models of robot vacuum cleaners might face new requirements before being sold in the US, while current models already approved for sale won’t be affected by the new regulations.
FCC media relations director Katie Gorscak confirmed to The Verge that robot vacuums are now included in the government’s Robot ban.
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According to the FCC, the restrictions apply to software-controlled robots that travel over the ground, weigh more than 4.4 pounds including any dock, can perceive their surroundings, and feature wireless connectivity.
The government explained the ban addresses national security concerns surrounding foreign-made robotic devices. Companies seeking approval for future products will need to demonstrate domestic manufacturing or commit to investing in US manufacturing to be able to sell in the US.
Not just Roomba, which was recently acquired by Chinese company Picea after iRobot’s bankruptcy, but also the other main manufacturers of robot vacuum cleaners all hail from China, though it seems that not even companies assembling their products in the US are safe under the new regulations. Matic, whose robot vacuums are assembled in California, told The Verge it may still need to apply for a waiver as it does not currently source at least 65% of its components from the US.
The news has shocked some Internet users, with one person writing on Twitter/X: “What are they scared of? It's just a vacuum. They're scared of robots, but robots and AI are the future. No matter how much we try to avoid them, they've already caught up with us.”
Someone else, however, argued that robot vacuum cleaners are 'the perfect spy medium'.
“Lol, what do they have against roombas?” was another comment.
Another person pointed out the inconsistencies in the measures aimed at improving domestic security and limiting the risk of unauthorised surveillance.
“Meanwhile we have fricken flock cameras [an automated license plate reader (ALPR) system] on every street corner spying on us, congress members wanting to force you to upload your id to use the internet and regulations requiring new cars to have cameras monitoring your every move," they wrote. “But roombas are the problem."