Meta is scaling back its employee tracking policy, allowing workers to pause data collection for up to half an hour at a time. This move comes after criticism from staff who were concerned about the new tool that logs keystrokes and mouse clicks to train AI models.

The company has introduced several optimizations to reduce battery drain and increase control over when data is captured; however, employees remain unconvinced as the initiative continues.

Stephane Kasriel, a Meta executive, stated in an internal memo that the team behind the Model Capability Initiative (MCI) had implemented these changes. In April, around 1500 workers signed a petition against the tracking tool and its perceived impact on privacy and job security.

Meta has already laid off approximately 2000 employees this year as part of a planned reduction in workforce by 8000 staff members. One former employee commented that the tracking tool was 'just another way they are pushing AI down everyone’s throat.'

The move to allow brief pauses is seen as a minor concession, but it comes amid ongoing concerns over privacy and data usage in the tech industry.