Would you like spies with that?
Micromanagement and spying on workers are nothing new. What is new (and alarming) are the surveillance tools being implemented by employers.
by Marcus DuVall
Originally published in Freedom Socialist newspaper, Vol. 47, No. 3, June-July 2026 socialism.com
In February, Burger King began spying on worker “friendliness” using an AI headset called “Patty” in an attempt to make the technology seem more human (and less threatening) by giving it a name. The device listens in on the employees’ conversation and creates a friendliness score. Phrases Patty looks for include “please” and “thank you,” which management sees as a way to “promote hospitality” among workers.
Burger King president Tom Curtis isn’t the only one supersizing the dystopian landscape of worker surveillance. Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Meta would be adding new tracking software on US-based employees’ computers, recording actions like keystrokes and mouse activity. This form of oversight will have a widespread impact on workers across industries.
While Patty will coerce a friendly facade from overworked employees, Meta’s tracking data will train AI models to locate and terminate “inefficient” employees. CNBC reported in late April that over 92,000 tech workers have been laid off in 2026 so far.
Tracking surveillance first started gaining popularity in 2020 and 2021 as Covid-19 forced many people to work from home. Out of the office, bosses needed new tricks to monitor workers and Amazon implemented technology to detect when employee’s home computers went idle. Innovative in appearance, these tactics are the modern equivalent of managers spying on workers from office windows high above the shop floor.
Labor’s response to these forms of monitoring have varied. The pandemic led some unions to implement provisions in their contracts that require employers to notify workers about the use of automated management and surveillance tools. Some workers have won access to their employer’s collected data.
Invasive scrutiny and Big Brother tactics will only dehumanize workers, not increase production. And considering the amount of wage theft and massive bonuses management profits from every day, it is time the cameras are turned back on them. Instead of waiting for the next “innovation” to strip away their rights, workers can “have it their way” by organizing together and fighting back.