Work App Tracked Woman's Movements 24/7
- By Ginger Hill
- May 13, 2015
We all need just a little bit of privacy sometimes: time away from work, time to relax, time to rejuvenate. At least that’s what one woman in California thought when she uninstalled an app on her smartphone that her employer used to track her movements 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Myrna Arias, former employee of Intermex, was instructed by her boss, Stubits, to keep her smartphone powered on at all times. For a while, Arias followed her boss’s direction, but apparently, after realizing that she was being “stalked” via the app, Airas was scolded by her boss and then fired from her job weeks later for uninstalling it. Arias is suing Intermex for violating her privacy, wrongful termination and other allegations.
ArsTechnica, a technology news and information website, discovered that Stubits admitted to monitoring employees while off duty and even bragged that he knew how fast Arias was driving at certain times. Arias noted that the app’s GPS function was very useful during work hours, but monitoring her location during non-work hours was going a bit far. Her boss responded that because Internix was paying her more than her previous employer, she should have tolerated it.
If I was Arias, I would definitely be upset that my privacy was breached; however, while her boss was “watching” her, I would imagine that she was also concerned about her safety. I know I would be.
About the Author
Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.