- Meta has updated its controversial employee tracking software, known as the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), which was initially designed to capture mouse movements and keystrokes to train its artificial intelligence systems.
- The initiative, announced in April, faced significant internal backlash from Meta employees, with over 1,500 staff members signing a petition against it, describing the surveillance as "very dystopian" and a breach of privacy.
- In response to employee concerns, Meta will now allow its staff to pause the tracking tool for up to 30 minutes at a time and offer workers the option to request a complete exemption from surveillance.
- Stephane Kasriel, a vice president in Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, stated in an internal memo that while the company remains confident in its privacy protections, it has heard concerns regarding personal data on work devices, battery life, and the desire for more control over tracking.
- An expert, Professor Virginia Doellgast from Cornell University, highlighted broader concerns about data privacy and consent, questioning whether employees are compensated for the value they produce through this data and noting the weaker data privacy rights in the U.S. compared to other nations.
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