GoKawiilKey Takeaways Meta said in an internal memo that it is slightly backtracking on its plan to collect employee mouse movements and keystrokes for use as AI training data.
The move follows weeks of pushback from employees, 1,500 of whom signed a petition against the surveillance system.
Meta is now offering partial pauses and exemptions for those who do not want to participate in the surveillance system.
Meta told workers a few months ago that it would track their clicks and keystrokes to train AI. After weeks of internal backlash, Meta revealed in an internal memo obtained by Reuters earlier this week that it decided to offer partial pauses and exemptions for those who object to the surveillance system.
“While we remain confident in the privacy protections we put in place at launch, which went through several layers of risk review, we have heard your concerns about personal data on work devices, battery life and wanting more control over when capturing happens,” the company said in the memo.
According to Reuters, new controls will permit employees to pause the data collection for “up to 30 minutes at a time.” Workers can also request to be removed from the initiative entirely. For employees who do not want their activity tracked, these pauses and possible opt-outs now represent a way out.
Meta introduced the Model Capability Initiative in April
In April, Meta briefed staff on a new internal tool that would monitor how employees use workplace software on company devices. The system, called the Model Capability Initiative (MCI), logs keystrokes, mouse movements, clicks and navigation through menus to generate real-world training data for Meta’s AI agents.
Meta told the BBC at the time that the goal was to create computer agents to help people complete routine tasks. That meant their models needed “real examples” of how people actually use apps. The company stressed that the captured data would “not be used for any other purpose” and said the system was equipped with safeguards to protect sensitive data on work devices.
Meta framed MCI as an extension of existing monitoring on corporate devices rather than a radical break, noting that activity on company hardware has long been accessible under standard policies. The distinction, however, was that Meta would dedicate this new layer of tracking to training and refining AI systems, instead of using it for routine security or compliance purposes.
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