Meta is easing up, at least slightly, on a workplace tracking program that had already drawn strong internal resistance. Employees in the US can now pause data collection for up to 30 minutes, and some may be exempted entirely from the monitoring.
The adjustment does not change the broader purpose of the program. Meta is still using the system to help train AI that can eventually carry out work tasks on its own, which is why the debate around privacy has remained so intense.
Inside the company, the initiative is known as the Model Capability Initiative, or MCI. It tracks mouse movements and keyboard activity on work computers, capturing the way employees interact with their screens while they do their jobs.
The program has become controversial because it is tied to Meta’s push into agentic AI. The idea is to teach models by observing how skilled workers use computers to complete tasks, then use that data to build AI agents that can do similar work independently.
According to Reuters, the latest policy changes were described in an internal memo by Stephane Kasriel, vice president at Meta Superintelligence Labs. In the memo, he said Meta still believes the privacy protections built into the program are solid, but acknowledged complaints about personal data on work devices, battery drain, and the need for workers to have more control over when tracking happens.
Why the backlash grew
The tracking system has not only raised privacy questions. It has also triggered practical complaints from employees, including heavier battery use and increased home internet consumption.
Those concerns arrived at a difficult time for Meta’s workforce. Reports say employee morale has fallen after global layoffs, making the introduction of work-device monitoring even more sensitive than a typical technical policy change.
Some employees have reacted sharply to the program. Internally, a few workers reportedly described Meta as an “Employee Data Extraction Factory,” reflecting how deeply the collection of mouse and typing data has unsettled part of the staff.
What the new rules allow
Under the updated approach, employees can stop data collection for up to 30 minutes whenever needed. A limited group can also request a full exemption from tracking.
That exemption does not apply to everyone. According to The Information, likely candidates include remote workers facing bandwidth limits, employees handling sensitive material, and those who often work in places where keeping a laptop plugged in is difficult.
For most Meta employees in the US, MCI remains in place. There is also no sign yet that the company plans to extend the program to workers outside the country.
Kasriel said in the same memo that Meta has made optimizations intended to reduce battery drain. The company appears to be trying to soften the impact of the system without abandoning the data collection that supports its AI plans.
Meta defends the program
Meta has insisted that the tracking data is not being used to watch workers or judge performance. Mark Zuckerberg has also defended MCI, saying the information is meant to train AI agents rather than monitor employees.
Zuckerberg’s argument is that Meta’s own employees can provide especially valuable data for model development. He has said the program is designed to help AI learn from highly capable people as they use computers to finish real tasks.
Even with the policy changes, concerns have not disappeared. There are also worries that systems like this could clash with European Union privacy rules if conversations between Meta employees in Europe and colleagues in the US are recorded as part of the workflow.
The issue also highlights Meta’s larger push to catch up in the race for agentic AI, where it is seen as trailing Anthropic and OpenAI. The company has been trying to accelerate development in that area, including through its acquisition of Moltbook, a viral social media platform built for AI agents.
For now, the company is keeping the core of MCI intact while making it easier for some employees to control when tracking occurs. That balance suggests Meta wants to preserve its AI ambitions, even as privacy concerns and internal unease continue to shape how the program is received.
Source: www.indiatoday.in