Roborock, the popular Chinese robot vacuum cleaner brand in South Korea, refuted recent allegations of data leaks, stating that it “strictly adheres to South Korean laws and does not provide user data to third parties without consent.”
In a statement released on Feb. 26, the company said, “Video and audio data collected by Roborock vacuum cleaners are not stored on servers.” Roborock further clarified that the image data the vacuum cleaners use to circumvent obstacles is stored only on the device, ensuring “no risk of external data leakage.”
Roborock’s reassurance comes amid growing concerns over privacy and data security following bans imposed on Chinese startup DeepSeek’s AI chatbot in several countries due to data leakage fears. In Korea, alarm over potential data leaks from Chinese-made robot vacuum cleaners, including those from Roborock and Ecovacs, intensified after DeepSeek was banned.
Previously, Ecovacs robot vacuums in multiple U.S. cities were hacked. Roborock has also faced criticism for terms that allow it to share Korean users' personal information with Chinese IoT company Hangzhou Tuya Information Technology.
In response to the controversy, Roborock stressed its commitment to data security, stating, “All data transmitted to our servers is encrypted using the latest TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols.” The company claims users have “full control over their personal information” as they can “delete and manage their image data at any time.
The company’s proactive stance on privacy concerns comes as competition in the robot vacuum cleaner market heats up, with Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics expanding their presence in the sector. Korea is a challenging market for foreign home appliance brands, but Roborock has held the top position in the robot vacuum cleaner market, with its share reaching nearly 50% last year.
Since entering the Korean market in 2020, the company’s sales in Korea have grown by over 200% annually, surpassing 200 billion won ($140 million) in 2023. Sales in the first half of last year amounted to 142 billion won.
Roborock plans to expand its presence in the Korean market by introducing a wider range of home appliances beyond robot vacuum cleaners. “We will continue working with Korean legal advisors to review and improve our privacy policy,” the company said.
