The Federal Communications Commission announced July 28 that it has banned two new categories of devices: “Advanced robotic devices” and connected power inverters produced in foreign countries. According to the FCC, “robotic devices” includes mobile robots, such as humanoids and quadrupeds, and devices “capable of locomotion, obstacle avoidance, navigation, or movement on the ground.” Yes, that means Roombas and other robot vacuums may be considered illegal if they’re produced outside of the United States of America.
this post was submitted on 11 Aug 2026
7 points (55.4% liked)
Technology
87417 readers
3849 users here now
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
Thanks for the clickbait-skip. There's still an important point missing: this doesn't apply to ownership, use, or sale of existing devices. It doesn't even block importation of existing models. It blocks certification of new models
I think the goal is to make people either numb to this noise or become radicalized to do something stupid and get caught.
I think the goal is to grant exceptions in exchange for bribes or political favors, because the FCC has already behaved that way with a similar rule about routers.
lol. Guess Rumbas are illegal now. I guess it's good the company is out of business.
Lol, exactly.
Still gives you this:
but at least you know that it's really as dumb.
But i guess that what hapens, if laws are mostly decided by a mentally underage in-group.
I didn't know the US government had jurisdiction in my country, that's wild!
They'd like to believe they have jurisdiction over the entire planet, and often pretend that they do.
What United States do has outsized effect everywhere else, and if you object to that, organizing, getting plans A, B, and C seems to be the remedy.
If there is at least one brown person in your country, then USA has full rights to at least one genocide.
A little bombing, as a treat
I'm enjoying a treat Derrick!
We won't tell you which one until after sports and the weather with 'Funny' Sonny Storm!
Oh good, all my assault rifles are still okay though
Assault rifles have been illegal since the 30s
Depends on whether you consider an AR-15 to be an assault rifle or not
Why would anyone consider the AR-15 an assault rifle? It's not any functionally different than your grandad's hunting rifle. It doesn't do full auto or burst.
It's classified as an "assault rifle" in my state. But yeah, I suppose it varies from state to state.
I promise you it's not classified as an assault rifle. It's probably classified as an assault weapon. That's a made up term meant to cause this sort of confusion, usually defined by non functional aesthetic features like a foregrip or a heat shroud over the barrel. Its essentially a "scary looking gun" ban. The AR gets lumped in because it's one of the most common rifles in the country. It's like trying to end car crashes by banning the Honda Civic.
Oh yeah, thats it. I was mistaken
I bet it's classified as an assault weapon, which is different than an assault rifle.
Is here a legal definition or is it still a blanket term for "guns that scare me"?
There's a definition in the military but the laws typically call them machine guns or simply ban full auto/burst fire
Clickbait PLUS American defaultism. Two for the price of one!
So much for finding a cheap lawn mower bot
Drug users: "Welcome to the club!"