Robot vacuums raise major privacy concerns over maps and video

Engadget examined privacy risks of connected robot vacuums: floor maps, cleaning history, microphones and remote video can reach manufacturer servers. One researcher gained control of roughly 7,000 DJI Romo vacuums; DJI fixed the backend permission flaw with two updates on February 10, 2026.

• DJI Romo: researcher controlled ~7,000 vacuums due to a server permission flaw
• iRobot's policy covers maps, room names, floor types, detected objects and Wi-Fi data
• Local-first models like Matic process maps on the robot over home Wi-Fi
• Advice: strong password, 2FA, updated firmware, disable remote viewing