According to the news from the US-based television channel ABC, it has been alleged that robot vacuum cleaners across the country have been hacked. It was reported that the hacked devices were uttering racist slurs. It was also learned that the hacked models are sold in Turkey as well.

Users of robot vacuum cleaners in different cities in the US claimed that the devices started using racist slurs. Minnesota attorney Daniel Swenson recounted how his Chinese-made robot vacuum cleaner started malfunctioning and making strange noises. Swenson said he noticed a stranger had connected shortly after, and then heard racist slurs targeting black people coming from the vacuum’s speakers.

Comparing it to a child or a teenager’s speech, Swenson said, “They may be hopping from device to device and messing with families.” Swenson emphasized that hackers being able to access the camera and microphone is a significant privacy concern, especially for children. The US television channel ABC reported that similar incidents have been observed nationwide in recent months. In May, it was reported that a vacuum cleaner was remotely controlled to chase a dog in a home in Los Angeles and utter curses in the process. It was also reported in the same month that another model in El Paso, Texas cursed while being unplugged.

It was reported that the hacked robot vacuum cleaner models are also sold in Turkey.