How the FCC’s New Rule Will Affect Robot Vacuums

How the FCC’s New Rule Will Affect Robot Vacuums should be explained through that lens before any broad claim is made. So what does this ban mean? The FCC updated its Covered List this week to include foreign-made advanced mobile robots, which include robot vacuums. The piece keeps the context, impact, and follow-up signals in view so readers do not stop at the headline.

What happened

So what does this ban mean? Though it's effective immediately, nothing changes for now. Robot vacuums won't get removed from the market, and your current robot vacuum won't stop working. The ban will instead stop new models from getting FCC approval to be sold in the United States. The vacuums available now won't be affected, but new models likely won't make it to the US if they're manufactured outside the country. And, unfortunately, a lot of great robot vacuum brands aren't based in the States.

Practical impact for readers

The FCC updated its Covered List this week to include foreign-made advanced mobile robots, which include robot vacuums. The Covered List, which comes from Section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 , is a “list of communications equipment and services that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.

Details worth verifying

It may feel like overkill for just a robot vacuum, but the definition of an advanced robotic device from the National Security Determination , an interagency body of the Executive Branch, clearly includes them. That definition includes the following highlights:.

Who should act or wait

The National Security Determination said that connected vehicles, vehicles on rail lines, aircraft, and unmanned underwater vehicles are not included in the ban, along with stationary robots. But foreign-made robot vacuums , along with similar robots like robotic pool cleaners and automated lawn mowers , look to be on the chopping block.

What is still unclear

The announcement comes after the FCC labeled all of these devices a security risk, since, according to the National Security Determination , “the networked capabilities of advanced robotic systems create extensive vulnerabilities and vectors for attacks that can manipulate the data and physical operation of the advanced robotic system.

Source notes

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