Meta and Google mine data from workplace tracking apps
▼ Summary
– A new study finds that hundreds of thousands of workplaces use employee monitoring software that shares data with advertising platforms and data brokers.
– The study, led by former FTC chief technologist Stephanie Nguyen, reviewed nine “bossware” services.
– All nine services shared some information with third-party platforms, including names, email addresses, and web history.
– Recipients of the shared data included platforms like Facebook and Google.
– The study was conducted by Columbia Law School’s Center for Law and the Economy.
Hundreds of thousands of companies now rely on employee monitoring software to track productivity and behavior. But according to a new study from Columbia Law School, many of these tools are quietly sending sensitive data to digital advertising platforms and data brokers , not just to employers.
The research, led by Stephanie Nguyen , a senior fellow at Columbia Law School’s Center for Law and the Economy and former chief technologist at the Federal Trade Commission under Lina Khan , reviewed nine popular workplace surveillance services, often referred to as “bossware.” The findings were stark: every single one of the tools shared some form of user information with third-party platforms. The data transmitted included names, email addresses, and even web browsing history, with recipients such as Facebook and Google among the most common.
This practice means that the same data used by managers to monitor employee performance is also being funneled into the advertising ecosystem, potentially fueling targeted ads and profiles far beyond the office. The study raises urgent questions about privacy, consent, and the hidden costs of workplace surveillance tools that are marketed solely as productivity enhancers.
(Source: The Verge)
