Employees at Meta offices in the United States have reportedly launched internal protests against new workplace surveillance software designed to collect employee activity data for artificial intelligence training.
According to reports, pamphlets criticising the company’s monitoring system appeared inside Meta offices, including meeting rooms, cafeterias, vending machines and even bathroom walls.
The flyers reportedly carried messages such as “Don’t want to work at the Employee Data Extraction Factory?” and directed employees towards an online petition opposing the software.
Meta’s tracking system, called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), reportedly records mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes and occasional screenshots while employees use approved workplace applications including Gmail, GChat, VSCode and Meta’s internal AI tools.
The collected data is reportedly being used to train AI agents to better understand how humans interact with computers and software systems.
The controversy has intensified because the monitoring rollout comes just days before anticipated layoffs at Meta. Reports suggest the company could cut nearly 10 per cent of its workforce, potentially affecting around 8,000 employees.
Many workers reportedly fear they are effectively helping train AI systems that may later replace human jobs.
An internal post by a Meta engineer reportedly gained significant attention after criticising both the privacy concerns and ethical implications of using employee activity as training data.
Employees in the United Kingdom are also reportedly beginning unionisation efforts through labour organisations including United Tech and Allied Workers, with workplace surveillance and AI-related concerns emerging as key issues.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone reportedly defended the initiative, stating that the company requires “real examples” of computer usage to improve AI systems while maintaining safeguards for sensitive information.
However, reports suggest some employees are delaying installation of the software in quiet protest, while others continue organising internally against the programme.
The development reflects growing global concerns around workplace surveillance, artificial intelligence, data privacy and the future of employment in the technology sector