The truth is that robot vacuum cleaners have made a dent in the home over the last few years. In addition, sales have doubled in a period of two years, according to data collected by Reuters. Nevertheless, If we have to talk about the precursor of this trend, we must talk about the model marketed by the iRobot company and its Roomba.
This little robot vacuums your home without you having to be behind; She usually moves around the house alone thanks to her sensors. Now, you should also know that throughout your stay in your home, is one of the members who know better all the corners than your house. And this stored information is the protagonist of this story: they want to do business with this data.
Knowing in detail all the ins and outs of your house can be one of the best 'gifts' for other companies. Among them are: Google, Apple or Amazon; that is to say, manufacturers that are betting very strongly on the connected home.
And this is precisely what iRobot is trying to negotiate with these companies, as stated by Colin Angle, the company's CEO in an interview with Reuters. According to Angle, 'there is a complete ecosystem of products and services that a smart home can offer if it has in its possession a detailed map that users have shared'.
But beware, because this data will not be shared —or sold— without the customer knowing, no. When it comes to registering your Roomba online, too You indicated that you allowed to share - and store - this data. You can see it in the iRobot privacy policy. Therefore, this example will serve to realize that reading before what we sign on the internet is important.
On the other hand, companies could know, what is the exact distribution of your home; what is the separation between the sofa and the furniture; which rooms in the home are the busiest or, if there are pets in the family home. Why might third-party companies want all this data? Simple: know what your customs are. And, incidentally, being able to offer products and services according to your needs from the outset to ensure sales.
I know this is an issue that many people see as a privacy breach and a security hazard… But I find it very useful. It bothers me more to see advertising towards which I have no interest than to see some product that may be useful to me.