Workplace surveillance practices are expanding across Australia as employers deploy monitoring technologies ranging from traditional CCTV to artificial intelligence-powered systems, according to research from the Human Technology Institute at the University of Technology Sydney. The institute documented monitoring methods including keystroke tracking, card swipe monitoring, surveillance cameras, and tracking of workplace messaging platforms. Examples cited included a fast-food chain installing cameras in change rooms to prevent phone use, and an AI system flagging a supermarket cashier for an error rate of 0.18%—approximately one mistake per 533 scans—resulting in a final written warning.
The proliferation of workplace monitoring has outpaced employee awareness. A poll commissioned by Minderoo in March 2026 found that while 43% of Australians were aware some employers use technology including AI for worker monitoring, only 9% knew such monitoring occurred in their own workplace. The research highlighted Microsoft Teams as a common surveillance platform and noted growing concerns about the potential for smartglasses to enable covert worker surveillance.
The institute attributed the growth of workplace surveillance to exemptions in the Privacy Act governing employee records and small business operations. In response, the Human Technology Institute has proposed comprehensive reforms to workplace privacy law, including amendments to the Fair Work Act that would establish fairness and reasonableness tests for workplace monitoring. The recommendations also call for government powers to restrict surveillance products posing unacceptable risks to worker rights.
Proposed reforms include requirements for employers to engage transparently with employees about surveillance measures and to obtain meaningful consent. The recommendations also establish a dedicated complaints scheme allowing workers to raise privacy concerns through the Fair Work Commission. The institute will present its findings to a joint parliamentary committee on artificial intelligence, with hearings focused on AI in the workplace including testimony from union representatives, the eSafety commissioner, and government agencies.
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