Meta Tracks Employee Computer Activity and Prepares Layoffs as It Shifts to AI

Meta told its U.S. employees last month that the company would begin tracking what they typed into their computers, how they moved their mouse, where they clicked and what they saw on their screen. The internal post said the change would affect tens of thousands of workers as the company adapts to the artificial intelligence era.

Many workers responded with online comments criticizing the tracking as a privacy violation. One engineering manager wrote that the measure made them super uncomfortable. The company replied that there is no option to opt out on corporate laptops. The monitoring announcement coincides with Meta's broader shift toward artificial intelligence.

The company is pushing many of its 78,000 employees to use the technology in their work. It is also preparing to lay some of them off.

Meta is integrating artificial intelligence into its products, including apps like Facebook and Instagram. The company is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to develop AI models and data centers. This transition from an internet company to an AI-focused organization has involved internal adjustments affecting staff.

Employee comments on the tracking post included more than 100 angry and surprised emojis. The company has stated that the monitoring is part of its adaptation to the AI era. No further details were provided on how long the tracking would last or exactly how the data would be used.