Cloud-less Neato Robots: AGCM Investigation into Vorwerk for Possible Unfair Practices

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has initiated an investigation against Vorwerk Management and Vorwerk Italia to ascertain a possible unfair commercial practice related to the post-sale management of Neato vacuum robots. At the center of the matter is the deactivation of smart services, an element that has substantially compromised the use of the devices.

According to reports collected between November 2025 and April 2026, several consumers have experienced the interruption of smart functionalities of Neato robots, effectively rendering many key features of the product unusable. The AGCM believes that the deactivation of software systems, despite the hardware still functioning, constitutes a significant modification of the nature and value of the purchased good.

Based on this preliminary evidence, the Authority hypothesizes a violation of Articles 20, 21, 22, and 24 of the Consumer Code, configuring a possible commercial practice that is both misleading and aggressive. On the day before the announcement of the investigation, AGCM officials also conducted inspections at the premises of the involved companies, with the support of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Financial Police.

The case follows the closure of Neato Robotics, a historic producer of vacuum robots founded in Silicon Valley in 2010 and acquired by Vorwerk in 2017. The company had distinguished itself by introducing the LiDAR sensor in this category of devices, contributing to the spread of advanced navigation solutions.

After ceasing operations in 2023, Vorwerk declared that it would guarantee cloud support for at least five years, along with the availability of spare parts and support services. However, the German company has now decided to terminate support three years early.

At the end of 2025, Vorwerk explained that "cybersecurity reasons, new compliance obligations, and the evolution of regulations" would render "it impossible to keep the cloud platform active in a secure and sustainable way."

Neato robots continue to operate in manual mode, allowing the initiation of cleaning cycles via physical command. However, the absence of smart functionalities - such as app management, advanced scheduling, and environment mapping - significantly reduces the usable value of the product.

The AGCM's investigation will now determine whether the responsibility related to the failure to maintain promised services prevails or if the technical and regulatory reasons may be deemed sufficient to justify the interruption.