Meta's new AI tool to track employee keystrokes and mouse movements, faces backlash

Meta Platforms is facing internal backlash after rolling out a new artificial intelligence training tool that tracks employees’ keystrokes and mouse movements on work devices.

The software, introduced to improve how AI models understand human-computer behaviour, has triggered concerns among staff over privacy and the absence of an opt-out option.

Employee concerns surface over tracking programme

Internal communications reviewed by Business Insider show that the tool captures inputs such as keystrokes, mouse movements and screen context to train AI systems. The aim is to help models better replicate how people perform everyday tasks, including using keyboard shortcuts and navigating menus.

“For agents to understand how people actually complete everyday tasks using computers, we need to train our models on real examples,” the internal post said, as reported by Business Insider.

The rollout has not been well received by all employees. One of the most upvoted responses on the company’s internal platform read, “This makes me super uncomfortable. How do we opt out?”, according to the report. The dominant reaction to the announcement was an “angry-face” emoji.

Responding to employee queries, Meta’s chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth said there was no option to opt out of the programme on company-issued devices, a stance that drew further mixed reactions from staff, Business Insider reported.

Company cites safeguards and limited scope

A Meta spokesperson told Business Insider that safeguards are in place to protect sensitive information and that the data collected is not used for purposes beyond training AI models.

The company has also indicated that the tracking is limited in scope. According to the internal announcement, the software applies only to a pre-approved set of work-related applications, including commonly used tools such as Gmail, GChat and an internal AI assistant. It is restricted to computers and does not extend to employees’ phones.

Reuters had earlier reported on the introduction of the tracking software.

Part of broader AI push

The move reflects Meta’s broader push to accelerate its artificial intelligence capabilities. Business Insider reported that the company has intensified internal AI efforts through dedicated initiatives, including specialised units and organisational restructuring focused on AI development.

A person familiar with the matter told Business Insider that employee activity on work devices has long been subject to monitoring, and the new programme is an extension of existing policies rather than a wholly new practice.

Balancing innovation and workplace trust

The episode highlights the tension between rapid AI development and employee sentiment within large technology firms. While companies seek to use real-world data to improve model performance, the methods of collection are coming under closer scrutiny internally.

As Meta continues to invest heavily in AI, the response to this programme suggests that questions around transparency, consent and workplace monitoring are likely to remain central to how such initiatives are received.