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Software used by employers to track worker activity while working remote is now being used in offices and personal information gathered by it is being sent to major technology and advertising companies, according to new research from Northeastern University.
The study examined nine employee monitoring platforms, often referred to as "bossware", that employers use to monitor staff activity across remote and in-office environments. Researchers found every platform tested shared worker information with outside third parties, including Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
David Choffnes, Professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences and co-author of the report, said the findings show how limited workplace privacy protections can be.
The issue, he said, extends beyond employer monitoring itself to what happens once employee data leaves the company.
Employee monitoring software expands beyond the workplace
The researchers reviewed nine platforms: Apploye, Deputy, Desklong, Hubstaff, Monitask, Buddy Punch, Time Doctor 2, Vericlock, and When I Work.
The tools can collect information including keystrokes, mouse activity, device data, location, and browsing history.
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Northeastern found all nine shared workers’ personal details such as names, email addresses, and employer information with external technology and advertising firms. Employee activity data was also transmitted to more than 145 domains, including Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yandex, and AppLovin.
A third of the platforms also enabled precise location tracking, including while operating in the background.
Choffnes warned that it creates a level of surveillance that can follow employees beyond the workplace itself.
The findings suggest employee data may not remain solely between worker, employer, and software provider. Instead, it can move into a much broader third-party tracking network, often with little visibility or control for employees over where that data goes.
Worker behavior data raises new AI concerns
The report did not, however, conclude that the collected information is being used to train artificial intelligence systems. Researchers said the data may instead be feeding the wider advertising and analytics infrastructure already embedded across the web.
Still, the findings arrive as concern grows around how human behavior data is being collected and used by technology companies.
Recent reports have highlighted internal backlash at Meta over software that records employee computer activity to help train AI agents. In India, workers have also reportedly been filmed carrying out everyday physical tasks or wearing cameras as data is captured for AI and robotics development.
Although those examples differ from employee monitoring software, they point to a broader trend around workplace data collection becoming increasingly normalized.
What began during the remote work boom as a way to oversee employees working from home is now increasingly present inside offices as well, with detailed worker tracking becoming a more common feature of modern employment technology.
