India sanitation worker tracking system criticised as disproportionate, intrusive

India's Human Efficiency Tracking System (HETS) was criticised for unnecessary and disproportionate surveillance and the misuse of personal data, sparking a heated debate about worker privacy, digital rights, and the balance between productivity monitoring and fundamental rights . What happened Used to monitor s anitation workers in the city of Chandigarh and six other municipalities in India , HETS comprises watches equipped with GPS trackers, a microphone, a SIM embedded for calling workers, and a camera, enable them to validate proof of attendance, weed out fake, duplicate and false workers, and improve operational efficiencies. Sanitation w orkers are forced to wear the watches equipped with HETS so that their movements can be monitored in real-time and pay deducted if they depart from algorithmically pre-determined set work schedules or routes. Sanitation workers complain they are never provided with information clarifying what the watches do, how they work, or how their data is stored. Neither are they asked to give their consent. Some sweepers complain the watches are inaccurate, locating them in other cities and resulting in lost wages, and say they must be worn outside work, raising privacy concerns. They must also be charged overnight on their own account. Others report feeling giddy after wearing the watches. According to Krishan Kumar Chadha, the former president of the Chandigarh Sanitation Workers’ Union, turning a tracker off incurs a fine of USD 3 to USD 4, or half a day’s salary, though this is denied by the municipality. Losing a tracker costs a worker USD 107 to USD 134, almost a month’s salary, according to the Chandigarh Sanitation Workers’ Union. Why it happened The root cause of the issue stems from the prioritisation of algorithmic efficiency and productivity tracking over individual privacy and labour protections. India’s regulatory frameworks, such as the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, focus primarily on traditional cybersecurity and breach notification rather than the operational, ethical, or mental impacts of AI-driven efficiency systems. The lack of corporate and product transparency left workers with little insight into how their data was being processed or evaluated, preventing meaningful accountability. What it means For affected individuals, it means navigating a work environment defined by constant monitoring and the threat of algorithmic micromanagement. For society and policymakers, it highlights the need to address regulatory gaps in emerging technologies. It raises the question of whether efficiency-tracking tools should be subject to independent human rights and ethical impact assessments.

Organisation involved

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation

Product, system or model

Human Efficiency Tracking System (HETS)

This is a record of what was reported, not a finding that anyone broke the law. If it names your organisation and you believe it is wrong, the corrections process is free and open to everyone.