Could Amazon Be Coming For Your Home Via Your Roomba Now?
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the Roomba has revolutionized household chores since it launched in 2002, allowing homeowners to take the back seat and watch as a little robot sweeps up crumbs from every inch of the house.
Now, in a recent announcement, Amazon says it will acquire the Roomba’s parent company, iRobot, for US$1.7 billion, which could signal the global retailer’s intent to go from your doorstep to right inside your home.
Of course, it hasn’t been a secret that Jeff Bezos’ firm has unlocked access to more niche areas of user data in recent years, including allowing patients to share medical data with Alexa, or its controversial palm-scanning technology that’s drawn the ire of privacy advocates.
With Amazon soon becoming privy to iRobot’s database, there’s speculation that the firm could be looking at collecting users’ maps of their homes, which Bloomberg says is “the real value” of the deal.
It remains to be seen if Amazon will come forward with a transparent account of what it plans to do with homeowners’ data. For example, will it be used to sneakily recommend more home goods based on your house’s layout?
For now, Dave Limp, SVP of Amazon Devices, is saying that the partnership aims to “invent in ways that makes customers’ lives easier and more enjoyable.”
