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See the full story · 4 sourcesGo to the 9to5Mac home page Switch site 9to5Toys 9to5Google Logo 9to5Google Electrek Drone DJ Logo DroneDJ Space Explored About Privacy Toggle social menu Toggle dark mode Search for: Submit Toggle search form Forums Store Podcasts Apple@Work Happy Hour 9to5Mac Daily Overtime iPhone iPhone Mac Mac MacBook Pro MacBook Air iMac Mac mini Mac Studio Mac Pro iPad iPad Pro iPad Air iPad mini iPad iPadOS Watch Apple Watch Apple Watch Ultra Apple Health Apple Watch SE Vision Vision Pro visionOS Music and TV Apple Music AirPods HomePod Apple TV Guides Reviews How Tos AAPL Apple Store Apple Arcade Apple Card Apple Silicon Apple One Apple Fitness+ CarPlay Siri HomeKit Toggle dark mode Roomba Robot vacuum cleaner Almost all future robot vacuums were just banned by the US government Ryan Christoffel | Jul 29 2026 - 2:01 pm PT 23 Comments Yesterday the US government announced its was updating its list of banned foreign-made products to include “advanced robotic devices,” and today an FCC spokesperson confirmed that applies to robot vacuums too.
When the Trump administration announced yesterday that it was banning “advanced robotic devices” from entering the United States, the headlines were all about humanoids . But spying doesn’t require legs — and neither does the FCC’s robot ban.
The robot ban will sweep up robot vacuum cleaners too , FCC media relations director Katie Gorscak confirms to The Verge.
It’s not coming for your existing Roomba, and companies can keep importing and selling already approved ones. But the government claims that future foreign robots pose a national security risk, and even robovac companies are suddenly being asked to commit to US manufacturing.
The FCC argues that advanced robotic devices come with a national security risk. And that applies to products we might think benign, such as robot vacuums, lawnmowers, and more.
Unless a device is explicitly approved, or made domestically for example, it won’t be allowed for sale in the US.
Liked by 28 people This has got to stop! Routers, EVs, and now robot vacuums? It's ridiculous. I am not naive. I do not mistake China for anything other than an economic and political adversary but this is just dumb. Generally speaking, the best technology is made in China whether it's smartphones, EVs, or robot vacuums and there is nobody to blame but the US. Over the last four decades we have decided time and again to off shore manufacturing as we failed to invest in our own education, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
This has nothing to do with national security. No one in their right minds can argue that a robot vacuum is a genuine threat to America. This is all about the Trump administration showing off and finding ways around even more tariffs. If you want to bring manufacturing back to the US, then lay out a 10-year plan to do so and start truly investing in it because it's not going to happen overnight. But banning everyday, beneficial technology that is used around the world and making life just a little extra difficult for American citizens is not the way to go about it.
This ban is poised to hit robot vacuums especially hard, as top brands like Roomba, Roborock, Ecovacs, and more are all Chinese-owned.
If you own one of these products, you can keep using it today uninterrupted. No one from the FCC is coming for your robovac.
But depending on how this ban plays out, the market for robot vacuums could take some wild turns in the near future. And if all of this sounds familiar, that’s because it echoes the wireless router ban from a few months back.
Will you continue using your current robot vacuum? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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Expand Close comments Expand Close comments Guides Roomba Robot vacuum cleaner Author Ryan Christoffel iryantldr Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.
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