Meta pauses employee tracking program amid privacy concerns

Meta has paused its employee tracking program, the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), after privacy concerns and a staff backlash. The program tracked keystrokes, mouse clicks, and screen content to collect data for AI training Source: BBC. More than 1,600 Meta employees signed a petition demanding the company stop harvesting employee data, citing "serious concerns around privacy, consent, and trust in the workplace" Source: The Guardian. The pause came after Wired reported that MCI data had been left accessible to anyone inside the company Source: BBC.

• Key facts:
  • The program was launched only two months ago Source: BBC.
  • Meta initially offered workers the option to opt out for 30 minutes at a time, which employees described as "damage control" Source: BBC.
  • The company confirmed it is investigating but has "no indication at this time that any data was improperly accessed by Meta employees" Source: The Guardian.

Employee backlash

Employees expressed frustration over the lack of consent. One current employee told the BBC: "I've never seen morale here so bad" Source: BBC. Another former employee described the company's direction as "exhausting and depressing" . Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had defended the program, telling employees that AI models learn from "watching really smart people do things" .