When considering workplace surveillance, many envision a boss closely monitoring every move. Modern technology, however, allows for constant employee surveillance without such a supervisor. Employers increasingly use tools like keystroke monitors and location trackers to ensure safety and manage company assets. Yet, these technologies can overreach, impacting productivity expectations and worker well-being.
Ariana Aboulafia of the Center for Democracy & Technology highlights that this issue particularly affects workers with disabilities. These individuals often face barriers in securing equitable employment due to accessibility issues and wage disparities. The unemployment rate for disabled people is double that of non-disabled individuals. Challenges are even greater for multiply marginalized groups, such as disabled women and people of color with disabilities.
Aboulafia's op-ed appeared in the American Bar Association’s Human Rights Magazine on July 18, 2025.