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Workplace surveillance is moving into a new phase, with employee monitoring no longer limited to productivity checks but now tied to how companies build and train artificial intelligence.
Meta’s latest move is rolling out software that checks on the so-called ‘mouse jigglers’ and records how employees interact with their computers, including mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes, alongside periodic screen snapshots.
“This is where all Meta employees can help our models get better simply by doing their daily work,” the company said in an internal memo.
Workplace surveillance meets AI strategy
Meta’s leadership has been explicit about the policy and is working toward a model where automation takes on a larger share of day-to-day tasks, with employees shifting into oversight roles.
“The vision we are building towards is one where our agents primarily do the work and our role is to direct, review and help them improve,” said CTO Andrew Bosworth.
Much of that depends on data, and in this case, the data is generated directly from employees as they go about their daily work. The company has made it clear that building more capable AI systems requires detailed insight into human behavior at the keyboard.
“If we're building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them - things like mouse movements, clicking buttons, and navigating dropdown menus,” said a spokesperson.
Meta has also sought to draw a boundary around how that data will be used.
It said the data gathered would not be used for performance assessments and that safeguards are in place to protect “sensitive content.”
Which might addresses one concern, although it does not fully resolve the broader question of how employees experience continuous monitoring in their day-to-day work.
Surveillance expands as power shifts
Monitoring technology is nothing new and has been used for years to track misconduct or productivity, but the scope of that surveillance is now widening.
“On the US side, federally, there is no limit on worker surveillance,” said Ifeoma Ajunwa, a law professor at Yale University.
That legal context gives employers significant latitude, particularly in the US, where requirements are often as limited as merely informing employees that monitoring is taking place.
At the same time, the balance of power in the workplace is shifting.
“awareness of employer surveillance shifts the balance of workplace power in the employer’s favor,” said Valerio De Stefano, a law professor at York University in Toronto who studies technology and comparative labor law.
The new rules are being adopted against a backdrop of broader workforce changes. Meta is planning to reduce its workforce, while also encouraging employees to adopt AI tools and consolidate roles under new job structures such as “AI builder.” It means fewer distinctions between roles, more reliance on automation, and increased integration of AI into everyday work.
Monitoring tools that track keystrokes, screen activity, and behavior have become more common since the expansion of remote work, while employers continue to refine how they use that data.
Employee response is not entirely positive, to put it mildly. Monitoring may provide insight and control for employers, but it can also introduce friction, particularly where trust is already under pressure or has been eroded to the point of relationship breakdown.
A majority of employers believe monitoring improves work, but a larger proportion of employees disagree. Many report anxiety about being watched, while a significant share say increased surveillance could push them to consider leaving.
That difference is likely to define the next phase of workplace surveillance. As companies gather more data to power AI systems and reshape roles, employees are being drawn into that process, often passively.
The question for HR leaders is not simply whether monitoring is legal or effective, but how far organizations can go before the cost shifts from operational gain to cultural strain.
Employee monitoring trends to watch
Monitoring versus perception: 68% of employers think monitoring improves work, while 72% of employees disagree.
Widespread tracking: 96% of companies use time-tracking software
Rising anxiety: 56% of employees feel anxious about being watched, and 43% say it invades privacy.
Workarounds emerge: 49% of workers fake being online, 31% use anti-tracking tools, and 25% use hacks.
Retention risk: 54% of employees would consider quitting if surveillance increases.
Source: Apploye
