Worker arrest: U.S. factories want to use smartwatches to spy on workers' every move

Two of the largest meat companies in the US have invested in a smartwatch app that allows...

managers track and control the movements of workers. Of course, not everyone liked it.

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According to a report by Investigate Midwest, JBS and TysonFoods has backed Mentore, a startup that claims to use surveillance data and artificial intelligence to increase productivity and reduce workplace injuries. Once paired with a compatible smartwatch, the Mentore app uses sensors to collect data on the force, rotation, speed, and direction of a worker's arm movement as they perform the same task repeatedly. The company's algorithm then analyzes this data to determine if these movements are safe and alerts the person if they are found to be using too much speed or force. This raw clock data is then converted into real-time metrics that are visible to executives on a dashboard.

The application can also differentiate"intense active movements" and "moderate active movements". According to Mentore's website, such data can "improve productivity, turnover and safety across a company in real time."

The move coincides with similarly controversial tracking practices that many other companies, including Amazon, have been trying to implement over the years in an attempt to boost productivity.

"In addition to surveillance and invasion of privacy,there is a real safety and health issue," – Mark Lauritsen, international vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), told Motherboard. Requiring workers to wear watches or any other jewelry is a violation of health and safety regulations that can lead to workplace injuries and potential product contamination, he said.