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As the world is figuring out how to get back to more normalized workspaces post-Covid-19, there are many different tracking and monitoring solutions popping up. Amazon just announced their new open source solution using computer vision that notifies employees when they are within 6 feet of another coworker in real time. Obviously, this comes with privacy concerns amid a wave of tools for monitoring employee behavior. This could be a further step towards normalizing increased surveillance in the workplace in the name of safety.
High scrutiny of Amazon might ensure that it holds to its policy of not storing any worker's movement data, but this oversight might not reach to smaller and less regulated productivity tool startups. It is important to ensure that we do not end up in a situation where, for example, a worker’s bathroom breaks are monitored by a company since they have gathered that data anyways through Covid-19 tracking.
In the current situation, it would be preferable to implement strong social solutions rather than implementing a tech solution that has the potential to cross the line and become a tool for surveillance. We stack our workplaces with different types of training and guidelines, and they might not always work 100%, but you don’t always need to add tech into the mix. Create social standards: if you don’t wear a mask you get kicked off the plane.
Workplace monitoring is already everywhere:
Constant monitoring while working from home (Washington Post)
Time to be tracked and tested (MIT Tech Review)
And to end on a positive note: If you’ve ever wanted to digitize your dog and insert them into your latest game, now is your chance!
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