Why your next robot vacuum is also going to be your lidar map

The map it produces is more detailed than most home insurance inspections. The behaviour patterns it can infer are more granular than most utility-bill profiles. And, unlike a smart speaker or doorbell camera, it is not generally perceived by consumers as a privacy-sensitive device.

That perception gap is the problem. The Consumer Reports investigation found that two of the five tested brands store map data indefinitely, with no automated deletion. Only one brand offered a clear delete option in the app.

What is likely next

A few things, in different time scales.

In the short term, expect at least one privacy-focused brand to make data minimisation a marketing differentiator. The vacuum equivalent of "no cloud, no problem".

In the medium term, expect regulators in the EU and selected US states to add specific provisions for home-mapping devices in updated consumer privacy laws. The GDPR framework already covers most of what is needed; the question is enforcement.

In the longer term, expect the cross-device data picture to become the bigger conversation. The vacuum, the smart speaker, the door lock, and the thermostat together produce a remarkably comprehensive model of a household. The fact that each was bought separately does not make the combined data any less significant.

Consumer robotics is becoming consumer sensing. The category is mature enough that the privacy conversation should catch up.

Sofia Marchetti · 4 May · 3 min