If a stranger knocked on your door and asked to take a video of your home’s floor plan and contents, you’d shut the door in their face, right? But what if that stranger added that you’d never have to clean your floors again? Would it change your mind?
For millions of Roomba users, the answer is “yes.”
Or is there more to the deal?
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The parties have one year from the Aug. 4 filing date to complete the deal, with extensions possible.
What the Deal Really Means
Roombas have been generating maps of people’s homes since 2015, when the 980 model first used a camera and mapping software to “learn” where obstacles like couches and end tables were.
What will they do with it? Things become clearer when you recall what iRobot CEO Colin Angle told Reuters five years ago: “There’s an entire ecosystem of things and services that the smart home can deliver once you have a rich map of the home that the user has allowed to be shared.”
If that sounds to you like the whole idea is to sell you things, you’re not alone. Privacy advocates are wary.
The acquisition of iRobot gives the data-gathering giant another large slice of the consumer data pie.
The Evolution of The Internet of Things
Short of living off the grid, we can’t get away from smart and interconnected devices. The number of devices capable of connecting to each other over the internet, collectively known as the internet of things, is expected to top 14 billion in 2022.
For homeowners, there’s a delicate balance between using smart tech to enhance our lives and ensuring our data isn’t exploited. Some smart devices are more vulnerable than others.
And it’s not just our data that’s at risk. A student at Florida Tech discovered a flaw in multiple doorbell cameras that allowed users with revoked access to remain logged in. For victims of domestic violence or stalking, that vulnerability could be dangerous.
What can homeowners do? Research, research, research. Utilize the expertise of scientists like those at Georgia Institute of Technology’s Astrolavos Lab. They tested more than 50 popular smart devices, from Ring doorbells to Echo voice assistants, and graded them in four security categories: Device, Mobile, Cloud and Network.
When you purchase a smart device, whether a doorbell camera or a light bulb, make sure you aren’t vulnerable to hacks by following a few basic safety precautions.
