Home Robot Privacy Checklist

Start here / product controls

What the documented controls actually cover.

These examples were checked against manufacturer pages on September 14, 2026. A control that stops one kind of collection may leave another feature active. Match the action to the specific sensor or service you want to stop.

Sources: EMO Pet privacy notice · Energize Lab robot and app privacy policy · EBO Air 2 privacy-mode documentation · AIBI offline commands and power-off command

Before buying

Map the data path before the robot enters the home.

Product pages often explain what a feature does without explaining every service required to deliver it. Read the current privacy policy, support pages, app listing, subscription terms, and account-deletion instructions together.

• List every camera, microphone, location, face, voice, touch, and diagnostic sensor
• Identify local storage, manufacturer cloud, AI providers, analytics, and third-party app services
• Confirm whether an account, phone number, precise location, or home Wi-Fi is mandatory
• Find the retention, deletion, export, and account-closure controls
• Check whether core functions remain available without cloud recording or generative AI

Worked example / account data

How to start an EMO data request.

LivingAI's EMO Pet notice directs data access, correction, and deletion requests to its support route or the contact listed in that notice. Use the current support form and explain whether the request concerns account information, app data, or another specific category. Keep its response so you know what was removed and what requires a separate step.

Deleting the app, removing a phone permission, powering off the robot, and requesting deletion of provider-held data are four different actions. Before resale, account for both the robot's stored information and any associated service account; a support request alone does not demonstrate that every copy is gone.

Sources: EMO Pet privacy notice · LivingAI support and contact form

Placement

Create no-go rooms and no-go moments.

Mobility expands the privacy boundary. A robot may drive under furniture, point toward screens, enter a child's room, or hear a conversation outside the intended viewing area.

• Keep robots out of bathrooms, bedrooms, changing areas, and confidential workspaces
• Block stairs, pet doors, balconies, and exits with physical barriers
• Avoid pointing docks toward computer displays, mail, calendars, or medication
• Define camera-off times for meals, guests, homework, medical care, and private conversations
• Tell visitors and caregivers that a camera- or microphone-equipped robot is present

Accounts and sharing

Make remote access narrow and visible.

The safest camera settings cannot compensate for a shared password, an abandoned guest account, or a compromised email address.

• Use a unique password and multi-factor authentication when offered
• Give each person an individual account instead of sharing the owner login
• Grant the minimum guest permissions and remove access when it is no longer needed
• Review device, session, guest, and movement logs on a schedule
• Secure the email and phone account used for password recovery

Network

Treat the robot like any other untrusted smart-home device.

Keep router firmware current and use WPA2 or WPA3 with a strong Wi-Fi password. A separate guest or IoT network can limit what the robot can reach inside the home, although local discovery features may need testing across network segments.

• Change default device and router credentials
• Disable router features you do not use, including remote administration
• Place the robot on a guest or IoT network when practical
• Install robot, app, phone, and router updates promptly
• Remove the robot from Wi-Fi and the app when it is stored or sold

Recording and storage

Record less, retain less, share less.

Continuous recording creates more exposure than event clips, and unlimited cloud storage is not automatically a benefit. Choose the smallest recording window that serves the actual use case.

• Prefer local storage when it meets the use case and you can secure the card
• Use short motion clips instead of continuous recording when possible
• Set the shortest practical cloud retention period
• Delete test recordings and old events regularly
• Do not post clips containing children, visitors, addresses, screens, or private audio without permission

AI features

Separate robot data from AI-service data.

A manufacturer may state that the base robot is local while an optional conversation or vision app sends data to a different provider. Review each app, model, or Space as its own service.

• Check whether audio, images, transcripts, prompts, or face templates leave the device
• Avoid speaking passwords, health details, financial information, or identifying information to AI features
• Do not enroll faces unless recognition is needed and everyone affected agrees
• Recheck terms when enabling a new app, station, subscription, or major firmware feature
• Disable integrations that do not have a clear household benefit

Sources: Energize Lab robot and app privacy policy · EMO Pet privacy notice

Children and vulnerable people

Consent needs an adult owner and a simple explanation.

A friendly face can make a robot feel like a private confidant. Make it clear that connected robots are devices, that adults control their settings, and that private information should not be shared with them.

• Use supervised accounts and age-appropriate settings
• Explain when the camera or microphone is on in plain language
• Disable purchasing, public sharing, and unrestricted AI chat where possible
• Never rely on a companion robot as the sole monitor for a child, older adult, pet, or emergency
• Review recorded content and access with dignity, necessity, and consent in mind

Reset and resale

End ownership as carefully as you began it.

Deleting the app is not the same as deleting the account, cloud recordings, device pairing, or local storage.

• Export anything you legitimately need, then delete cloud and local recordings
• Remove guest users, automations, AI integrations, and subscriptions
• Factory-reset the robot and remove it from the manufacturer account
• Erase or retain the microSD card instead of giving it away
• Revoke app permissions and remove the device from Wi-Fi and password managers
• Request account deletion and keep confirmation when appropriate