Employees at Meta Platforms have reportedly launched protests against the company’s installation of mouse-tracking software on workplace computers, amid growing concerns over surveillance, artificial intelligence and planned job cuts.
According to reports by Reuters, flyers opposing the software appeared across several Meta offices in the United States, including meeting rooms, vending machine areas and office restrooms. The pamphlets urged employees to sign an online petition challenging the monitoring system.
One of the flyers reportedly read: “Don’t want to work at the Employee Data Extraction Factory?”
The protests come just days before Meta is expected to lay off about 10% of its workforce as part of broader restructuring efforts tied to the company’s artificial intelligence strategy.
The incident marks one of the clearest signs yet of emerging labour activism within the company, as some employees express frustration over job cuts and fears that workplace data may be used to train AI systems that could eventually replace human workers.
For months, employees have reportedly criticised Meta’s AI-driven restructuring plans on internal forums and discussion platforms. Some workers argue that the mouse-tracking technology effectively forces employees to help train automated systems capable of replicating human-computer interactions.
Responding to criticism, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone defended the software, saying the company requires real-world interaction data to improve AI agents designed to perform computer-based 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 in an earlier statement.
The campaign materials distributed by employees referenced the U.S. National Labor Relations Act, stressing that workers are legally protected when organising to improve workplace conditions.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, some Meta employees have reportedly begun a unionisation campaign with the United Tech and Allied Workers, a branch of the Communication Workers Union.
The group launched a recruitment website named “Leanin.uk,” referencing former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg and her book on workplace equality.
UTAW organiser Eleanor Payne criticised Meta’s strategy, accusing the company of prioritising risky AI investments while employees face job losses and increased workplace surveillance.
“Meta’s workers are paying the price for management’s reckless and expensive bets,” Payne said.
