Workplace tracking software secretly share employee data with Big Tech
What's the story
A recent study has revealed that popular workplace monitoring apps, or "bossware," are sharing employee data with digital advertising platforms and data brokers. The research was conducted by scholars from Columbia Law School, Northeastern University, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California, Berkeley. It examined nine widely used bossware platforms such as Hubstaff, Time Doctor, and Deputy.
Data tracking
All 9 platforms shared data with outside companies
The study found that these bossware apps track a wide range of employee activities, including work hours, screenshots, keyboard and mouse usage, location data, app activity, and other productivity metrics. Stephanie Nguyen told The Verge that "The striking piece of this study is that every single platform, nine of nine bossware companies, shared worker data with outside companies."
Data sharing
Personal data of workers was also shared
The researchers created worker and manager accounts on these services to analyze how data moved through them. They found that all nine workplace apps shared personal worker data such as names, email addresses, and company details with third parties. The study recorded 121 instances of worker data being shared with external companies, including Facebook, Google, AppLovin, and Microsoft.
Data transmission
Sensitive information transmitted to 3rd-party companies
Along with personal data, the bossware apps also transmitted sensitive information such as IP addresses, device information, and websites visited to 145 third-party companies. These included tech giants like Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Bing, and Yandex. The researchers warned that "Bossware platforms have adopted the same business model as much of the consumer internet: collect as much data as possible, retain it indefinitely and repurpose it in ways workers neither expect nor meaningfully consent to,"
Data monetization
Companies monetize employee data by noting app usage
The study also found that these companies monetize employee data by noting details like when an app is used or what network a device is on. This information can be used to make further inferences about an employee's habits, engagement, or intent to look for another job. The report highlighted that a third of the tested workplace monitoring platforms could track workers' precise location even when running in the background or potentially when they were off the clock.
Privacy concerns
Researchers call for immediate ban on workplace surveillance
The researchers stressed that the workplace shouldn't become another frontier for "unchecked surveillance and data extraction." They called for an immediate ban on the sharing and selling of workplace data to prevent practices that undermine worker privacy, autonomy, and economic security. The report also noted that workers usually don't have the ability to meaningfully refuse surveillance or stop using an employer-issued surveillance platform without risking their jobs.