Redazione RHC : 24 November 2025 18:42
Remote work has given employees freedom , but with it has also come digital surveillance .
We discussed this some time ago in an article, reporting that these monitoring tools are also coming to Microsoft Teams. Therefore, instead of the boss’s unwavering gaze, this role will increasingly be played by ” algorithms ” that monitor how long applications are open, which websites are visited, and how actively the mouse is moved and keys pressed.
Advanced systems even analyze employees’ facial expressions and the way they walk in front of a webcam. But these tools also highlight the inherent limitations of collecting personal data.
However, for many workers, such monitoring is not seen as a concern, but as distrust and a violation of privacy . Surveys and data from the American Psychological Association link constant surveillance to increased stress, worsened psycho-emotional well-being , and the desire to leave work.
The need to transmit webcam images or sensitive medical information is particularly pressing. People are demanding clear explanations about why the data is being collected and with whom it can be shared.
The cold gaze of algorithms is no less dangerous. Programs lack context and easily mistake phone calls or documents for inactivity. This leads employees to feign frantic activity for the sake of performance indicators, and experts at the National Employment Law Project in the United States have documented cases of unjustified sanctions that are difficult to challenge when the decision is actually made by the system.
In warehouses and logistics, where every movement is digitalized, the pressure is particularly intense: the rush to meet standards translates into physical pain, fatigue, and burnout. According to NELP, digital surveillance also impacts workers’ rights, hindering worker organization and providing companies with a tool for early detection of union activity, under the guise of analyzing other metrics.
The rules of the game are slowly changing. In the United States, employers are required to provide notice of data collection, but these requirements are limited, so states are trying to introduce their own safeguards . California is discussing a ban on systems that recognize emotions, gait, or facial expressions and transmit data to third parties.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts is promoting legislation that would protect workers from the abuse of digital surveillance . Meanwhile, federal authorities are seeking a unified approach to regulating artificial intelligence, which could undermine local initiatives. Therefore, interest in collective bargaining as a viable means of combating excessive surveillance is growing.
Advocates of a more cautious approach insist that such tools are only meaningful when they help identify broad trends and improve processes, rather than turning people into parameters. Where respect, autonomy, and safe working conditions are maintained, productivity emerges naturally, without a ubiquitous camera monitoring every move.
Redazione