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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Katie Cunningham

‘Ask all the time: why do I need this?’ How to stop your vacuum from spying on you

David Vaile Amazon Internet iRobot Google
A robot vacuum cleaner in the foreground of a photograph of a young couple lying on the floor together.
Despite privacy and security concerns, smart home technology is booming. Photograph: South_agency/Getty Images

This month, Amazon inked a deal to acquire smart vacuum company iRobot – the makers of Roomba – for a tidy US$1.7bn. As some see it, if the purchase goes through, that should worry us.

“It’s all about the data,” says David Vaile from the Australian Privacy Foundation.

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