WIRED: Meta Pauses Employee Tracking Tool After Data Exposure

Summary

Meta has temporarily halted its controversial "Model Compatibility Initiative" program, which tracked employee computer activity, following an internal security incident. Launched in April for US employees, the tool collected data like mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes, along with screen content, to train AI systems. Employees had raised significant privacy and liberty concerns, and initially, there was no opt-out option. However, after protests, a limited opt-out was introduced. A Meta engineer revealed on Monday that databases containing MCI data were accidentally exposed to other employees within the company. While Meta claims no indication of improper data access, a spokesperson stated the pause is for investigation. The company vice president overseeing AI research, Stephane Kasriel, confirmed the security issue was discovered on June 18 and initially addressed within four hours, but further lockdown was needed. He assured that MCI will only be reactivated once data protection controls are deemed effective and noted that sufficient data has already been gathered to assess the tool's long-term value.