Office buildings have become like web browsers – they're full of tracking technology, a trend documented in a report out this week by Cracked Labs.
The
study, titled "Tracking Indoor Location, Movement and Desk Occupancy in the Workplace," looks at how motion sensing and wireless network technology in buildings is being used to monitor the movement and behavior of office workers and visitors.
"As offices, buildings and other corporate facilities become networked environments, there is a growing desire among employers to exploit data gathered from their existing digital infrastructure or additional sensors for various purposes," the report says. "Whether intentionally or as a byproduct, this includes personal data about employees, their movements and behaviors."
The case study is part of a series titled "Surveillance and Digital Control at Work" that's overseen by Cracked Labs, an Austria-based non-profit. Produced with support from AlgorithmWatch, Jeremias Prassl (Oxford), UNI Europa and Global Privacy Alliance, and labor rights organization Austrian Arbeiterkammer, the series explores how companies are using personal data in Europe.
The use of tracking and analytics technology in the workplace has become a matter of concern in the US as well as Europe, prompting regulators like the US Federal Trade Commission to
issue guidance in an effort to deter unlawful practices.
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