According to Reuters, Meta employees distributed flyers at multiple offices in the United States on Tuesday to protest the company's recent move to install mouse-tracking software on employees' computers. The flyers, which appeared in meeting rooms, vending machines and above toilet paper racks in Meta offices, encouraged employees to sign an online petition opposing the move. Both the flyers and the petition cited the National Labor Relations Act, stating: "When workers choose to organize to improve working conditions, they are protected by the law."
"Do you want to work in an 'employee data extraction factory,'" the flyer read, according to photos seen by Reuters.
The distribution of the flyers comes as Meta plans to lay off 10% of its workforce in about a week.
Currently, a nascent labor movement is brewing within Meta, and the distribution of leaflets is the most obvious sign so far. At least some workers are beginning to channel their anger at companies’ plans to reshape the workforce around AI into organized labor action.
For months, Meta employees have been angry on internal platforms and online forums about the company's plans for mass layoffs this year and the introduction of mouse-tracking software. Many employees view the software as almost equivalent to letting them help design the robots that will replace them in the future.
When asked by Reuters about the matter, Meta spokesman Andy Stone cited a previous statement the company had issued regarding mouse tracking technology. "If we are building agents that help people use computers to complete daily tasks, then our models need real user usage scenarios, such as mouse movements, button clicks, and drop-down menu operations," the statement said.
In the UK, a group of Meta employees have begun organizing a unionization campaign with the United Technical and Allied Workers Union (UTAW). UTAW is a branch of the Communications Workers Union. The employees set up a website to recruit members, called "Leanin.uk," a reference to former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg's best-selling book that encouraged women to seek equality in the workplace.
A UTAW representative confirmed the UK-based campaign to Reuters. "Meta employees are paying the price for management's reckless and costly bets," said UTAW organizer Eleanor Payne. "As executives chase speculative AI strategies, employees face devastating layoffs, harsh surveillance, and the harsh reality of being forced to train ineffective systems designed to replace them."