Google could use internal surveillance tool to monitor worker dissent and labor organizing, employees warn

Xeni Jardin 3:24 pm Wed Oct 23, 2019

Workers at Google say the company is developing an internal surveillance system that could be used to monitor the behavior of employees, and thwart dissent and labor organizing.

The company says they're only trying to make it easier for workers to manage their internal Google calendars and manage meeting spam.

The allegation underscores tensions between employees and Google leadership, reports Ryan Gallagher at Bloomberg News:

Google employees are accusing the company’s leadership of developing an internal surveillance tool that they believe will be used to monitor workers’ attempts to organize protests and discuss labor rights.

Earlier this month, employees said they discovered that a team within the company was creating the new tool for the custom Google Chrome browser installed on all workers’ computers and used to search internal systems. The concerns were outlined in a memo written by a Google employee and reviewed by Bloomberg News and by three Google employees who requested anonymity because they aren’t authorized to talk to the press.

READ MORE: Google Accused of Creating Spy Tool to Squelch Worker Dissent [bloomberg.com/ via @KevinWhitelaw1]

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