Meta is installing tracking software on the computers of its US-based employees to capture mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes for training its AI models, according to internal memos seen by Reuters.
The tool, called Model Capability Initiative, will run on work-related applications and websites and take occasional screenshots of employee screens, according to a memo posted by a staff AI research scientist on Tuesday. The data will help improve Meta’s AI models in areas where they struggle to replicate human-computer interactions, such as selecting dropdown menus and using keyboard shortcuts.
According to the Reuters report on the matter, Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth told employees in a separate memo that the company would increase internal data collection as part of “AI for Work” efforts, now rebranded as Agent Transformation Accelerator. “The vision we are building towards is one where our agents primarily do the work and our role is to direct, review and help them improve,” Bosworth wrote, as per the report.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the data would be used for model training and said safeguards protect “sensitive content” without specifying exclusions, adds the report. He said the data would not be used for performance assessments.
The move comes as Meta plans to cut 10% of its global workforce starting May 20, with further reductions expected later this year. Amazon has trimmed 30,000 corporate roles in recent months, while Block cut nearly half its staff in February.
Legal experts noted that US federal law imposes no limits on worker surveillance, though European regulations would likely prohibit such monitoring, further adds the report. In Italy, electronic monitoring for productivity is explicitly illegal, and German courts have permitted keystroke logging only in exceptional circumstances such as criminal investigations.