Scale AI faces GDPR complaints over alleged worker surveillance

The European digital privacy advocacy group noyb has filed five complaints against Scale AI across France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Austria. The complaints allege that Scale AI’s Outlier platform, which employs over 900,000 freelancers to train AI models for clients like Meta, OpenAI, and Google, is unlawfully monitoring its contractors.

According to the filings, the platform utilizes up to 19 different trackers on workers' devices. These tools reportedly record keystrokes, mouse movements, and IP addresses, potentially allowing work sessions to be reconstructed as video. The group also alleges that data is shared with third parties, including LinkedIn and TikTok, for profiling and targeted advertising.

Additionally, the complaints target Scale AI’s use of biometric identity verification through the firm Persona. noyb argues these invasive checks are disproportionate and violate EU rules regarding sensitive biometric data. The group also noted that workers reportedly faced significant delays when requesting access to their personal data, a right protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).