Meta Faces Employee Resistance, Scales Back Data Collection Scope of AI Training Tracker MCI

According to Watchful AI monitoring, Meta has begun scaling back employee computer tracking tools used for AI training. An internal Meta memo obtained by The Information reveals that in response to employee backlash, the company has decided to update the "Model Capability Initiative" (MCI), narrowing the scope of behavioral data collection and enhancing privacy protection.

The MCI, launched in April this year, primarily recorded employees' mouse movements, clicks, navigation, and screen views on their work computers to train AI to use computers like humans. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously stated that AI models need to learn by "watching smart people work," and that the data output by company employees is significantly higher quality than traditional outsourced annotation teams.

However, this monitoring software faced strong resistance internally due to causing device slowdowns and reduced battery life. Some employees resisted tracking by bypassing permission pop-ups or manually disabling the software in settings. Last month, some employees distributed flyers in the office and launched a petition, gathering over 1,500 employee signatures, protesting against the lack of respect for employee dignity.

According to the memo, Meta has now made a series of concessions: employees can pause the tracker for 30 minutes at any time to deal with personal matters; data collection has shifted from recording specific input words to only summarizing activities; the exemption application process for being tracked has been expanded to cover sensitive content handlers, bandwidth-constrained remote workers, and field operators with limited charging capabilities. Furthermore, Meta has stated that currently only a "small number of engineers" have access to the raw data.