Meta Halts Employee Monitoring Tool After Internal Security Breach
Meta has paused its controversial employee tracking program after a security lapse exposed potentially sensitive data collected by the initiative to other workers.
Meta is temporarily suspending its Model Compatibility Initiative (MCI) tool following an internal security incident that left databases of collected data accessible to all employees. The tool, rolled out to US workers in April, captures computer inputs such as mouse movements, click locations, keystrokes, and screen content.
Initially, employees could not opt out, but after protests, the company allowed limited opt-outs. Meta executives defended the program as necessary for training AI systems to operate software like humans, arguing that employees were the best source for learning.
On Monday, a Meta engineer issued an internal security notice stating that MCI databases were exposed to anyone inside the company. A former employee involved in opposing the program called the lapse "a mess" and said it was anticipated by workers. After critical comments flooded internal forums, Meta surprised staff by pausing MCI entirely.
Company spokesperson Tracy Clayton stated: "We have carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards and while we have no indication at this time that any data was improperly accessed by Meta employees, we're pausing it while we investigate."
