iRobot’s Roombas have a new Chinese owner, but it says your data will remain in the US

As portion of its acquisition by China-based Picea Robotics, iRobot is creating a caller US-based subsidiary called iRobot Safe, which the institution says will beryllium “responsible for the protection of US user data,” akin to the TikTok deal that was completed past month. iRobot customers successful the US will beryllium capable to proceed utilizing their robovacs arsenic usual, but now their information will beryllium handled by iRobot Safe, alternatively than the company’s caller owner.

In a press release published connected January 23rd, iRobot stated that the creation of iRobot Safe is “designed to support a clear separation betwixt iRobot’s non-US ownership and its US and different world user data.” The caller subsidiary will person its ain US-based board, CEO, and information information officer. iRobot will besides still beryllium based retired of its existent office successful Bedford, Massachusetts, but is now wholly privately owned by Picea.

The summation of iRobot Safe comes a small complete a period aft iRobot filed for bankruptcy successful December, erstwhile it besides announced it would beryllium acquired by Picea Robotics, pursuing an attempted acquisition by Amazon that fell through successful 2024.