As noted by The Verge, robot vacuums are also subject to new FCC rules barring the import of future Chinese robots over spying concerns. Notably, the ban covers any robot that’s controlled by software, weighs over 4.4 pounds, and uses computer vision to see its environment. If you, like myself, already own a robot vacuum from a Chinese company like iRobot, Roborock, Dreame, or Ecovacs, fear not; this ban affects future products, not existing ones that are already in your home. For example, there’s that time that China-made Ecovacs Deebot X2 robot vacuums were compromised in 2024, allowing hackers to yell racial slurs from their onboard speakers; or earlier this year when a Spanish hacker took control of more than 7,000 DJI robot vacuums. So, without tackling the actual security of it all, it looks like what most people will be left with is the same robot vacuum flaws with fewer opportunities to actually buy a decent (and cheap) one.