Meta is adjusting its approach to monitoring employee activities for AI training after facing internal opposition. An internal memo revealed new controls, such as the ability to pause data collection for up to 30 minutes and request exclusion from the program.
Stephane Kasriel, a vice president at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs unit, mentioned in the memo that the software team had implemented optimizations to reduce the impact on laptop batteries. Concerns were raised about the excessive data usage affecting home internet bills. Kasriel acknowledged the feedback on privacy, battery life, and the need for more control over data capture.
Last month, Meta disclosed plans to install monitoring software on US-based employees’ computers to gather on-screen data for training AI models. This initiative was part of Meta’s broader strategy to develop AI agents capable of independent workplace tasks. The rollout coincided with significant organizational changes at Meta, triggering strong opposition within the company.
The monitoring initiative could also heighten Meta’s compliance challenges in the European Union, where tech companies are already entangled in legal battles over data collection and utilization practices.
