Why the US government is trying to ban this Chinese dancing robot | Explainer

Guardian technology journalist Nick Robins-Early explains the Unitree G1, a real humanoid robot from Hangzhou-based Unitree that has danced at World Cup games, the NBA finals, and on US television. The FCC announced on 28 July 2026 a ban on new Chinese humanoid robots, including the G1, over claims they could surveil Americans or steal data. The piece also covers a 2025 Bluetooth flaw that researchers said could let a compromised G1 infect nearby Unitree robots and form a robot botnet, and questions how much of the ban is security versus competition with US firms such as Tesla.