Concerns over Chinese home appliances are growing amid the controversy surrounding China’s artificial intelligence (AI) company, DeepSeek, and its alleged personal data breaches. The hacking scandal involving Chinese-made IP cameras in 2024 has resurfaced, further fueling anxieties, particularly regarding the increasingly popular robot vacuum cleaners.
Security concerns could serve as a counterattack strategy for South Korea’s home appliance industry, which has been struggling to compete with China’s aggressive market expansion. Companies like Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics attempt to differentiate themselves from Chinese products by emphasizing robust security measures that block entirely personal data leaks and external hacking threats. They also plan to continue enhancing their proprietary security solutions.
DeepSeek Controversy Spurs Growing Security Concerns Over Chinese Home Appliances
On Wednesday, South Korea’s National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee discussed the issue of DeepSeek’s data leaks. According to the Personal Information Protection Commission, DeepSeek was found to have transferred user data to ByteDance, the parent company of Chinese social media platform TikTok. In response, South Korea has suspended downloads of the DeepSeek application, and other countries are also tightening regulations.
Despite the decisive action of blocking DeepSeek, consumer concerns persist. Many electronic devices used in daily life store vast amounts of personal information, and the underlying fear is that such data could be shared externally without users’ consent.
Additionally, the hacking incident involving Chinese-made IP cameras in 2024 has contributed to the growing concerns. IP cameras, which transmit and receive data over networks, were hacked, leading to videos filmed in homes, offices, and karaoke rooms being leaked in large quantities to Chinese adult websites, causing a major uproar in South Korea. Even if manufacturers of Chinese products claim to manage personal data strictly, consumers remain skeptical about their ability to prevent hacking.
While China dismisses the issue as South Korea’s reaction to its rapidly advancing manufacturing and technology sectors, South Korean consumers see it as a critical problem that must be addressed. This is precisely why South Korean home appliance companies are focusing on security.
Some industry experts believe that consumers’ concerns over Chinese products could present an opportunity for South Korean appliance makers. One sector where this trend is particularly evident is robot vacuum cleaners, which frequently incorporate IP cameras. Chinese companies currently dominate this market in South Korea, with Roborock holding the top market share. South Korea is considered a latecomer in this field. However, last year, a study revealed that the home robot vacuum cleaner made by the Chinese company Ecovacs was vulnerable to hacking.
Another concern is that these companies might share user data with their affiliated entities in China. Data breaches and security risks are pressing issues that these companies must address.
Samsung and LG Electronics Highlight Multi-Layered Security Systems
South Korean companies are recognized for their robust multi-layered security systems. They also require explicit user consent before sharing any personal data, except in essential cases.
Samsung Electronics integrates three layers of protection—Knox, encryption, and security chips—into its Bespoke AI Steam appliances. Developed in-house, Samsung’s Knox security technology blocks external hacking threats from the outset.
According to Samsung, any images or video data captured by cameras installed in its cleaning devices are stored in the SmartThings cloud using End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) technology, ensuring unauthorized users cannot access them. Additionally, sensitive data such as digital certificates and encryption keys are stored separately in dedicated security chips, providing hardware-based protection. A Samsung Electronics official stated, “Security is our top priority in the AI appliance era, and we are pursuing additional security certifications for our robot vacuum cleaner products.”
LG Electronics also utilizes its proprietary security system, Shield. To ensure the highest level of security, LG applies its standard security development process, encrypts sensitive information, and securely stores encryption keys in isolated spaces to prevent unauthorized data leaks. The company also protects its operating systems to prevent hackers from altering operational code or data.
Moreover, LG Electronics applies its Software Security Development Lifecycle (LG SDL) to all stages of IoT product development, from initial design to market release. An LG Electronics representative emphasized, “We have been recognized for our security reliability, having obtained a Platinum rating in UL Solutions’ IoT security assessment.”