Privacy group files complaints against Scale AI over alleged worker surveillance

By Leo Marchandon

Oct 27 (Reuters) - European digital privacy advocacy group noyb filed five complaints against Scale AI in France, Italy, the Netherlands and Austria on Tuesday, alleging it illegally monitored freelance workers who produce training data for AI models.

The complaints target Outlier, a platform on which more than 900,000 freelancers perform various tasks that are recorded to create AI training data for clients such as Meta, OpenAI and Google. Meta owns 49% of Scale AI.

Noyb is asking regulators to fine Scale AI and to examine how the platform assigns tasks.

"You don't work when you want," said Thomas Le Bonniec, who spent two years studying the platform for Paris-based research collective DiPLab. "You work when the platform wants you to and there are tasks available."

Scale did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The complaints seen by Reuters said up to 19 trackers follow workers while they work, including recording keystrokes and mouse movements every few seconds. An investigation by DiPLab found the resulting file could be rebuilt into a video that replays a work session from start to finish.

Workers must also submit ID documents and face video to identity verification firm Persona. The complaints said the checks were invasive, repeated without explanation, and broke EU rules on biometric data.

Outlier also uses game-like mechanisms, and bonuses are a key part of its incentive system, DiPLab found.

Outlier offered bonuses of $100 to $200 for completing 200 tasks in 24 hours, Le Bonniec said, citing interviews with workers during his investigation. Italy's data protection authority fined delivery platform Glovo in 2021 over similar gamification, he added.

Four workers asked Outlier for copies of their data between December 2025 and May 2026. None received an answer, the complaints said.

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)