Companion robot privacy
Companion robots occupy an unusual position in consumer privacy: they are designed to be trusted with emotionally intimate conversation, often while sitting in a bedroom or living room with an always-on microphone and sometimes a camera. That combination — intimacy plus surveillance-capable hardware — makes privacy the single highest-stakes factor in this category, higher than in almost any other robot type we cover.
What to check before buying
- Local vs cloud processing. Does conversation processing happen on the device, or is audio sent to the manufacturer's servers? Cloud processing means a third party has access to the content.
- Data retention. Is conversation history stored, for how long, and can you delete it? Manufacturers rarely publish this clearly — treat unclear answers as a red flag.
- Camera presence and control. Does the device have a camera, and can it be physically covered or disabled, not just switched off in software?
- Third-party sharing. Is data shared with AI model providers, advertisers, or other third parties? Check the privacy policy, not just the marketing page.
- What happens if the company shuts down. Stored conversation data's fate after a company folds is rarely addressed — see the robot graveyard for what has happened when robot companies have collapsed.
How we score it
Every robot profile on this site includes a Privacy & Safety score (5% weight in the overall editorial score — see methodology) covering sensor presence, cloud dependency and stated data policy. For companion and adult-companion robots specifically, we treat this as the most decision-relevant factor even where it carries a smaller formal weight, because the consequences of a privacy failure are more personal.
Remote access and camera security
If a companion robot includes a camera you access remotely (for example to check on a device while away from home), the security of that remote connection matters as much as the robot itself. Our sibling site Best VPN Match covers secure remote access and encrypted connections relevant to camera-equipped home devices.
FAQ
Do companion robots record conversations?
Many do, particularly those with cloud-based conversational AI. Check whether processing happens locally or in the cloud, and whether conversation history is stored — manufacturers rarely make this clear, so treat vague answers as a warning sign.
What happens to my data if the robot company shuts down?
This is rarely addressed by manufacturers. Our robot graveyard documents cases where companies collapsed and servers went dark; assume stored data's fate is uncertain unless a company states otherwise.
Can I disable the camera or microphone?
This varies by product. A physical cover or hardware switch is more trustworthy than a software toggle alone, since software settings can be reset by updates or bypassed by a compromised device.