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One-Third Of UK Companies Monitor Staff Using ‘Bossware’
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A third of UK employers use “bossware” to monitor employee activity.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Most common surveillance includes emails, web browsing, and screen activity.
- One in seven employers records or reviews staff screens.
- 42% of managers oppose monitoring, citing trust and privacy concerns.
The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) shared its report findings with The Guardian , showing how the use of “bossware” technology is monitoring one-third of UK employers, tracking their activities, including emails, web browsing, and screen usage.
Private companies are the most likely to deploy in-work surveillance, with one in seven employees being monitored via screen recording.
The CMI findings, based on responses from hundreds of UK managers, suggest that computerized work monitoring is on the rise. The Guardian reports that in 2023, less than a fifth of workers thought they were being watched, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
About a third of managers report monitoring online activity on company devices, though many admit they are unsure of the exact tracking measures in place. Many firms argue that monitoring protects sensitive information and detects dips in productivity. But the trend has caused unease among staff and managers alike.
The Guardian reports that an insurance company manager, who works with AI performance tracking systems, expressed concern: “Do they not trust their employees to do their jobs and are they looking to replace them with AI?”
Employee monitoring can include tracking idle time, app usage, keystrokes, screenshots, and use of unapproved AI or social media. The ICO warned that bosses “must make their employees aware of the nature, extent and reasons for monitoring” and said excessive oversight “can undermine people’s privacy, especially if they are working from home,” as reported by The Guardian.
Petra Wilton, CMI director of policy, said: “If it is being used, it is incredibly important employers are open, otherwise that’s going to cause significant problems in terms of data privacy and protection,” reported The Guardian.
The workplace surveillance system at PwC monitors employee attendance through its “traffic light” system, while HSBC has announced plans to install 1,754 security cameras and biometric readers, as reported by The Guardian.
The survey showed that 53% of managers backed monitoring on company devices, yet 42% opposed it, citing trust issues, misuse of devices, and unfair performance evaluations.
Image by Nathana Rebouças, from Unsplash
Google Faces First Major U.S. Publisher Lawsuit Over AI Search
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The company that owns Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, and other media outlets has filed a lawsuit against Google for using their news content to create AI-generated summaries without permission.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- CEO Jay Penske said publishers must protect journalism from Google’s misuse.
- Google defends AI Overviews as making search “more helpful.”
- PMC is first major U.S. publisher directly suing Google over AI.
Penske Media Corporation (PMC) says Google’s “AI Overviews” are significantly reducing traffic to its websites and cutting into revenue.
“As a leading global publisher, we have a duty to protect PMC’s best-in-class journalists and award-winning journalism as a source of truth,” said CEO Jay Penske, as reported by Reuters .
“Furthermore, we have a responsibility to proactively fight for the future of digital media and preserve its integrity — all of which is threatened by Google’s current actions,” Penske added.
Recently Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, warned staff that Google traffic could eventually drop to zero, adding , “Google is shifting from being a search engine to an answer engine. We have to develop new strategies.”
Google Search remains the leading search platform in the United States, controlling more than 90% of the market. The company rejected the accusation made against it.
Spokesperson José Castañeda said AI Overviews make search “more helpful” and create “new opportunities for content to be discovered,” as reported by Reuters.
He added, “Every day, Google sends billions of clicks to sites across the web, and AI Overviews send traffic to a greater diversity of sites. We will defend against these meritless claims.”
Penske is the first major U.S. publisher to sue Google directly over AI Overviews, though others have raised similar complaints. The Verge notes that earlier this year, Chegg and several European publishers filed lawsuits, while U.S. outlets including The New York Times sued Microsoft and OpenAI over AI training practices.
Critics warn Google’s dominance leaves publishers little leverage. “That is the problem,” said Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance, as reported by TechCrunch.
The lawsuit comes after the news that Google is testing a new “ AI Mode ” for its search engine, allowing users to communicate with a chatbot interface instead of using traditional search queries.
Publishers warn this change could worsen the damage already caused by Google’s AI Overviews, which have slashed traffic by more than 50% for outlets like HuffPost and Washington Post. Critics argue Google is turning into an “answer engine,” keeping users on its platform while starving publishers of clicks and revenue.
While Google says “blue links” will remain accessible under a Web tab, experts predict AI Mode will take over, threatening the long-term survival of online news outlets.
