October 31, 2023

TikTok has launched a new employee surveillance app, MyRTO, in a bid to get employees back to the office.

MyRTO tracks employee badge swipes and can even penalize them for “deviations.” The app is being rolled out as part of TikTok’s new return-to-office policy, which requires many employees to work in the office three days a week.

TikTok says the app is designed to create “clarity and context” about return-to-office expectations, experts warn that it could have unintended consequences. Studies have shown that workplace surveillance can lead to decreased employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. It can also create a hostile work environment and damage employee morale.

In addition, TikTok’s decision to implement employee surveillance is particularly ironic given the company’s own history with surveillance concerns. TikTok has been accused of collecting user data and sharing it with the Chinese government. For a company that is already under scrutiny for surveillance-related concerns, the MyRTO initiative only exacerbates the situation.

The sources for this piece include an article in SFChronicle.