Neurotechnology is becoming widespread in workplaces – and our brain data needs to be protected

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 11:51:54 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/neurotechnology-is-becoming-widespread-in-workplaces-and-our-brain-data-needs-to-be-protected-236800>

"As remote work became standard around the world during the COVID pandemic,
employee surveillance rapidly intensified. Companies started deploying software
to electronically monitor their employees’ web browsing history, emails and
webcams – all in the name of ensuring continued productivity.

While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the intense digital surveillance
of workers continues. And it is set to increase even more with the growing
popularity of brain-monitoring neurotechnology which is already used in mining,
finance and other industries.

This technology is capable of measuring brain waves and making inferences about
a person’s mental state, such as whether they are tired or unfocused. The
United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office predicts it will be common
in workplaces by the end of the decade. By then, the market for neurotechnology
devices is expected to be worth more than US$24 billion.

This presents major privacy concerns for workers in Australia – especially as
there are no current privacy law provisions protecting employee data generated
from neurotechnology. This is something the Australian government should
urgently fix as it prepares to introduce draft privacy reforms into federal
parliament this month."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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