An Engineer’s Post Protesting Laptop Surveillance Is Going Viral Inside Meta
WIRED • • business
Key Points:
- Meta has implemented the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), a mandatory software on US employee laptops that tracks keystrokes, mouse movements, and screen activity to gather data for AI training, sparking significant internal backlash over privacy concerns.
- An internal petition opposing the tracking program argues that nonconsensual data extraction for AI training exploits employees and should not become a workplace norm, gaining traction among nearly 20,000 Meta workers.
- The controversy has contributed to record-low morale and is a key factor driving a unionization effort among Meta's UK employees, who fear the program may expand beyond the US.
- Some employees are protesting by delaying installation of the tracking software, while others are actively campaigning with flyers and internal posts highlighting a broader cultural decline at Meta tied to layoffs and increased workplace intensity.
- Meta has not publicly commented on the employee protests or the petition, and organizers have not disclosed how many workers have signed or whether they plan legal action to challenge the tracking initiative.