Meta Faces Internal Backlash Over Employee Tracking Technology

Employees at Meta Platforms distributed flyers across multiple U.S. offices on Tuesday protesting the company’s recent installation of mouse-tracking software on employee computers, according to photos of the pamphlets reviewed by Reuters.

The flyers reportedly appeared in meeting rooms, on vending machines and even on toilet paper dispensers inside Meta offices. Employees were encouraged to sign an online petition opposing the tracking technology.

One of the pamphlets carried the message: “Don’t want to work at the Employee Data Extraction Factory?”

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AI Monitoring Sparks Employee Pushback:

The protest comes roughly a week before Meta is expected to lay off 10% of its workforce.

The development marks one of the clearest signs yet of an emerging labour movement inside the company, as some employees express growing frustration over Meta’s plans to restructure parts of its workforce around AI.

According to the report, employees have spent months discussing concerns internally and on online forums regarding both the planned layoffs and the rollout of mouse-tracking software. Some workers reportedly view the technology as part of broader efforts tied to automation and AI-driven workforce changes.

Asked about the criticism, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone referred Reuters to an earlier company statement defending the software.

In that statement, Meta said the technology is intended to support the development of AI agents capable of completing everyday computer tasks.

“If we’re building agents to help people complete everyday tasks using computers, our models need real examples of how people actually use them things like mouse movements, clicking buttons and navigating dropdown menus,” the company said.

Also Read: Meta Plans to Launch Personalized AI Agents for Everyday Tasks Across 3 Billion Users

The pamphlets and the online petition also referenced the U.S. National Labor Relations Act, stating that workers are legally protected when organising around workplace conditions.

The employee pushback is not limited to the United States. In the UK, a group of Meta employees has reportedly begun organising a unionisation effort with United Tech and Allied Workers, a branch of the Communication Workers Union.

The group launched a recruitment website using the URL “Leanin.uk,” referencing former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg’s book encouraging workplace equality.

A representative from United Tech and Allied Workers confirmed the UK campaign to Reuters.

The protests come as major technology companies continue accelerating AI integration across products and operations, prompting increasing conversations around employee monitoring, automation and the future of work inside the tech industry.