Roomba Vacuum Took Images Of Woman On Toilet That Ended Up On Facebook

A young woman was filmed while using the bathroom by a filthy robot vacuum cleaner, and the pictures eventually emerged on Facebook.

This month, information about the frightening data leak from iRobot's new Roomba J7 series robot vacuum first surfaced.

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Images from a test version of the household device's camera were collected, and they were then submitted to Scale AI, a firm that hires people from all around the world to tag audio, photo, and video data used to train artificial intelligence systems.

From there, 15 images reportedly found their way onto private messaging forums used by Venezuelan IT professionals, according to MIT Technology Review.

(Image: supplied)

iRobot, the company that invented the autonomous vacuum cleaner, acknowledged that its technology had taken pictures in 2020.

The images, they emphasized, were captured by "special development robots with hardware and software modifications that are not and never were present on iRobot consumer products for purchase."

They stated that "paid collectors and employees" who had signed formal agreements allowing the corporation to use any data obtained by the Roombas, including video, for training purposes had been handed the devices.

The two million images shared with Scale AI included the 15 shots that wound up on Facebook, according to the company.

The test subjects were encouraged to "remove anything they deem sensitive from any location the robot operates in, including children," the company claimed, and the unique test devices had been labeled with stickers that made it clear video filming was underway.

However, when requested, the business refused to provide copies of the executed contracts or to make any of the product testers available for interview.

Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, has said that the company is “terminating its relationship with the service provider who leaked the images, is actively investigating the matter, and [is] taking measures to help prevent a similar leak by any service provider in the future”.

Dennis Giese, a data security expert from Boston's Northeastern University, specializes in protecting home appliances like Amazon's Alexa personal assistant. He claims that robotic vacuums like the Roomba are especially dangerous since "you have no way to control that they can drive around in your home."