Meta staff revolt over AI surveillance tool amid 10 per cent job cuts
Workers in the US and UK are protesting mandatory computer tracking software designed to train artificial intelligence models, a move that coincides with significant workforce reductions at the tech giant.
Employees at Meta are organising protests in the United States and the United Kingdom against the installation of surveillance software on work computers. The programme, known as the Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA), records mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes to train artificial intelligence agents. Staff have circulated flyers and launched petitions, arguing the initiative violates the US National Labor Relations Act and expressing fears of job displacement.
The unrest follows an announcement last month that Meta would utilise employee activity data to improve its AI models. A company memo stated the initiative was designed to help models learn how people complete everyday tasks. However, Meta chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth confirmed that staff cannot opt out of the tracking programme. The company had previously stated that sensitive information would be tightly controlled, but employee reactions have been largely negative.
In the US, flyers have appeared in meeting rooms, on vending machines, and on toilet paper dispensers, encouraging workers to sign an online petition. One pamphlet asked, "Don't want to work at the Employee Data Extraction Factory?" A similar unionisation campaign is underway in the UK with United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW). Internal messages cited by The New York Times reveal staff discomfort, with one engineering manager describing the programme as making them "super uncomfortable."
The protests occur against the backdrop of a 10 per cent reduction in Meta’s workforce. Layoffs are scheduled for May 20, with some employees referring to the event as the "Big Beautiful Layoffs" on countdown websites. One worker described the situation as "incredibly demoralizing," while another criticised leadership for being "callous" to employee concerns.
Uncertainty regarding the company’s future structure continues to fuel anxiety. Meta chief financial officer Susan Li told investors in April that the company does not know the optimal size of the workforce in the future due to rapidly advancing AI capabilities. The exact number of employees involved in the protests remains unspecified, as does the long-term impact of the ATA programme on Meta’s operational model.
