The Trump Administration has banned all new humanoid robots from China, which the FCC terms "unacceptable risks" to U.S. national security.
Many major robotic vacuum brands like Roborock and Ecovac are either based in China, or source parts from foreign countries — even iRobot's Roomba. Among other features, robot vacuums often have the ability to map your home, listen to conversations, and there have been security breaches that demonstrate the devices' vulnerabilities.
"Advanced robotic devices collect data that could be leveraged by malign actors to surveil Americans, enhance the capabilities of foreign intelligence services, or to remotely commandeer the robots," the FCC said. It cites several use cases for robots: guarding data centers and other "critical infrastructure" protection, manufacturing and "U.S. military dominance" that the FCC says illustrate the need to have a "secure domestic advanced robotics supply chain."
Earlier this year, the FCC banned imports of new Chinese-made routers, and has taken steps to restrict Chinese AI models.
“I thought being on the left was a mental problem. The empirical evidence is so overwhelming that it never worked anywhere, and they refused to accept it. But what I discovered is that being on the left is a disease of the soul. The left is built on envy, hatred, resentment, and unequal treatment under the law. They are very violent, and since they have no way or arguments to answer, they go for physical violence.”
Argentinian President Javier Milei