Meta halts worker tracking for AI training due to privacy fears

Meta has paused a program that tracked the movements of its employees to train artificial intelligence models, following a petition signed by nearly 2,000 workers demanding its cancellation. The program used office tracking technology — such as badge readers or motion sensors — to collect data on employee movements throughout Meta's workspaces. The data was intended to train AI systems in understanding human spatial behavior.

The petition gathered almost 2,000 signatures from Meta employees, who argued that the monitoring was invasive and lacked adequate consent. In response to the petition, Meta decided to halt the program. The company stated it was reviewing the program in light of employee feedback but did not specify whether the program would be permanently discontinued or modified.

The incident underscores tensions between corporate data collection for AI development and employee privacy rights. Meta has been increasingly investing in AI that models real-world human behavior, and workplace data offers a rich source of training material. However, internal pushback highlights growing awareness and concern among tech workers about how their own data is used. The outcome may set a precedent for similar programs at other technology companies.