Meta says employees can now pause controversial workplace tracking – but only for 30 minutes
Meta has updated its employee tracking software to allow workers to pause monitoring for up to 30 minutes, following backlash over the controversial system that records mouse movements and keystrokes to train AI models. The policy change comes after more than 1,500 employees signed a petition calling the initiative 'dystopian' and raising privacy concerns, though critics argue the controls remain insufficient.
Meta has modified its employee tracking program to allow workers to temporarily disable the system for up to 30 minutes at a time, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters. The software, part of Meta’s Model Capability Initiative (MCI), captures mouse movements and keystrokes to train AI models by mimicking human-computer interactions. The update follows widespread criticism from employees, who viewed the tracking as a privacy violation and a step toward replacing human roles with AI. The initiative was announced in April, sparking a petition signed by over 1,500 Meta staff who described the system as 'very dystopian' and compared Meta to an 'employee data extraction factory.' Workers also expressed concerns about battery life and the potential capture of personal data on work devices. In response, Meta now permits employees to pause tracking for short periods or request full exemption, though the policy does not address broader privacy or consent issues. Stephane Kasriel, vice president of Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, acknowledged employee concerns in the memo, stating that while the company maintains privacy protections, workers wanted more control over data collection. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the memo. Critics, including Virginia Doellgast, a Cornell University professor specializing in employee relations, questioned whether workers are adequately compensated for contributing data and whether they have meaningful choice in participation. Doellgast highlighted weaknesses in U.S. workplace data privacy laws, noting that other countries offer stronger protections for personal information. The controversy underscores ongoing debates about AI development ethics, employee surveillance, and the boundaries of corporate data collection in the tech industry.
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