Meta pauses employee tracking software after internal data leak

Meta paused Employee tracking software is divisive yet Internal security issue Disclose potentially sensitive data collected through the initiative to other workers.

“We carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards in mind, and while there is no indication at this time that any data was improperly accessed by Meta employees, we are pausing it while we investigate,” says company spokeswoman Tracy Clayton.

Meta rolled out the Model Compatibility Initiative (MCI) tool in April to US employees. The tool “collects computer inputs such as mouse movements, click locations and keystrokes, as well as screen content,” according to workers who filed a petition against it over privacy, security and personal freedom concerns. When MCI was first launched, employees couldn’t opt ​​out, but that changed to a limited degree after a worker protest.

Meta executives have repeatedly defended the data collection project, saying it is necessary to train AI systems to run computer programs the way humans do, and that employees are the best examples of AI to learn from.

A Meta engineer on Monday issued an internal security notice stating that databases full of information collected by MCI had been exposed to anyone inside the company.

One former employee who was actively involved in tackling MCI describes the lapse as “a mess” — one that employees saw coming. “When workers raised their concerns, leadership redoubled its efforts and failed to acknowledge the risks workers raised about the safety and privacy of worker and customer data,” the person says. “It is clear that the leadership has created an authoritarian environment in which workers are no longer respected or listened to.”

But after an influx of critical comments on internal forums on Monday expressing frustration over the security issue, Meta shocked some of its employees by pausing MCI entirely, telling WIRED about the development before announcing it to employees.