Microsoft app accused of enabling employee mobile surveillance
Microsoft Dynamics 365's field service management tools have been criticised for potentially enabling excessive worker surveillance and micro-management. A report by Austrian research group Cracked Labs raised concerns about how the software allows employers to closely monitor mobile workers through smartphone apps. The software tracks workers' activities, locations, and other data points, which, the researchers argue, can diminish worker autonomy and discretion. It also uses AI to predict task durations and single out individual workers' performance, raising questions about how this data could be used. The increased monitoring and algorithmic management is said to accelerate work stress and intensity. Microsoft pushed back against some of these claims, stating that the software is designed to help field workers plan and coordinate their work, not for surveillance, and said it does not use AI to recommend workers for jobs based on past performance. However, critics argue that even if not intended for surveillance, the software's capabilities enable problematic monitoring practices that can negatively impact workers. System 🤖 Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service 🔗 Operator: Microsoft customers Developer: Microsoft Country: Global Sector: Multiple Purpose: Manage field service workers Technology: Machine learning Issue: Privacy; Surveilla ncece
- Date it happened
- 2024-07-01
- Organisation involved
- Microsoft
- Product, system or model
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service
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