Meta won't track its workers' clicks - but only for half an hour at a time

Meta is scaling back its plan to track employees' computer activity following criticism from staff, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters^[1] and the BBC^[2].

The company had faced backlash from employees, including a petition with over 1,500 signatures^[2], after announcing a new tool to log keystrokes and mouse clicks to train its AI models. In response, Meta has introduced new controls allowing employees to pause data collection for up to 30 minutes at a time^[1][2]. Employees can also request exemptions from the initiative altogether^[1][2]. The move comes as Meta continues to undergo significant restructuring, having laid off around 2,000 employees this year^[1][2]. The company had initially planned to cut 10% of its workforce, roughly 8,000 staff, as reported by the BBC^[2]. An internal memo, authored by Stephane Kasriel, a vice president in Meta's Superintelligence Labs unit, acknowledged employee concerns about personal data on work devices, battery life, and control over data capture^[1].