Workplace monitoring apps share employee data with third parties

An investigation by Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University, and the University of California at Berkeley has revealed that widely used workplace monitoring platforms share personal employee data with outside companies and data brokers. Researchers tested nine platforms, including Hubstaff, Deputy, and Time Doctor 2, finding that every single one shared identifying information such as names and email addresses without clear disclosure.

These digital tools, which saw widespread adoption during the pandemic, allow employers to track locations, task completion rates, and even access cameras on work-issued devices. While workplace monitoring is not new, advances in artificial intelligence and data science now allow companies to create extensive dossiers to predict or punish employee behavior. Experts note that workers with the least market power often serve as testing grounds for these intrusive data collection methods.