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Do you own a Roomba? The little robot vacuum could have been mapping your home, and that data may be up for sale: Colin Angle, chief executive of Roomba maker iRobot, has admitted that the company is seeking a deal to sell its maps to one or more of the “Big Three” (Amazon, Apple, Google) in the next couple of years. The company released the Roomba 980 in 2015, a Wi-Fi model capable of collecting spacial data using visual localization, sensors, and more.
One potential downside is that selling data about users' homes raises clear privacy issues, said Ben Rose, an analyst who covers iRobot for Battle Road Research. Customers could find it "sort of a scary thing," he said. Angle said iRobot would not sell data without its customers' permission, but he expressed confidence most would give their consent in order to access the smart home functions.
One potential downside is that selling data about users' homes raises clear privacy issues, said Ben Rose, an analyst who covers iRobot for Battle Road Research. Customers could find it "sort of a scary thing," he said. Angle said iRobot would not sell data without its customers' permission, but he expressed confidence most would give their consent in order to access the smart home functions.