2020-07-02 13:09![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
grok_mctanys
grok_mctanysThe EFF recently published their report Inside the Invasive, Secretive “Bossware” Tracking Workers that looks at "automatic time tracking"/"workplace analytics" software, which many companies have started putting not just on their own computers, but more frequently on those of workers who use their personal computers to work from home.
As the report points out:
The report has specifically has a look at ActivTrak, CleverControl, DeskTime, Hubstaff, Interguard, StaffCop, Teramind, TimeDoctor, Work Examiner and WorkPuls - but even if the computer you use has a different brand of "bossware" on it, the report is probably worth taking a look at.
I would like to expand on one point:
This kind of software treats the user as an adversary. If it's on a computer you're using, it's reasonable to say that you are not in control of that computer.
As a result, if your privacy is important to you, you should resist installing this kind of software on computers you own, or that you use for personal activities. If your employer wants you to use a computer with this kind of software on to work from home, they should supply that computer for you as work equipment. If you worked in an office, they'd provide a computer and not require that you bring one of your own in. Working from home should be no different. As the owner of that computer, your employer has the right to decide what software they would like on it. Asking you to turn control of your personal computer over to them - possibly a shared device, used by multiple family members - should not be acceptable.
If you feel strongly about this and you're being asked to install this kind of software on a personal device, and you're a member of a union, bring it up with your union rep. Show them the report. If you're not, and joining a union isn't something you're looking at, still push back as much as you feel you can. Consider at least registering your discomfort with your manager or with HR.
Note that this kind of mandated spyware is not limited to corporate employers. See the recent news story CEO of exam monitoring software Proctorio apologises for posting student's chat logs on Reddit.
You cannot trust computers with this type of software installed to work for you. But even if you can't avoid being made to use a computer with this type of software on it, you should at least be aware of what that software can do, so you can make an informed decision about what else you feel comfortable using that computer for.
(h/t Cory Doctorow's Pluralistic newsletter)
As the report points out:
We’ll call these tools, collectively, “bossware.” While aimed at helping employers, bossware puts workers’ privacy and security at risk by logging every click and keystroke, covertly gathering information for lawsuits, and using other spying features that go far beyond what is necessary and proportionate to manage a workforce.
The report has specifically has a look at ActivTrak, CleverControl, DeskTime, Hubstaff, Interguard, StaffCop, Teramind, TimeDoctor, Work Examiner and WorkPuls - but even if the computer you use has a different brand of "bossware" on it, the report is probably worth taking a look at.
I would like to expand on one point:
The majority of companies that build visible monitoring software also make products that try to hide themselves from the people they’re monitoring. Teramind, Time Doctor, StaffCop, and others make bossware that’s designed to be as difficult to detect and remove as possible. At a technical level, these products are indistinguishable from stalkerware. In fact, some companies require employers to specifically configure antivirus software before installing their products, so that the worker’s antivirus won’t detect and block the monitoring software’s activity.
This kind of software treats the user as an adversary. If it's on a computer you're using, it's reasonable to say that you are not in control of that computer.
As a result, if your privacy is important to you, you should resist installing this kind of software on computers you own, or that you use for personal activities. If your employer wants you to use a computer with this kind of software on to work from home, they should supply that computer for you as work equipment. If you worked in an office, they'd provide a computer and not require that you bring one of your own in. Working from home should be no different. As the owner of that computer, your employer has the right to decide what software they would like on it. Asking you to turn control of your personal computer over to them - possibly a shared device, used by multiple family members - should not be acceptable.
If you feel strongly about this and you're being asked to install this kind of software on a personal device, and you're a member of a union, bring it up with your union rep. Show them the report. If you're not, and joining a union isn't something you're looking at, still push back as much as you feel you can. Consider at least registering your discomfort with your manager or with HR.
Note that this kind of mandated spyware is not limited to corporate employers. See the recent news story CEO of exam monitoring software Proctorio apologises for posting student's chat logs on Reddit.
You cannot trust computers with this type of software installed to work for you. But even if you can't avoid being made to use a computer with this type of software on it, you should at least be aware of what that software can do, so you can make an informed decision about what else you feel comfortable using that computer for.
(h/t Cory Doctorow's Pluralistic newsletter)
