Pinterest Fires Engineers Behind Layoff Monitoring Tool
Pinterest fires two engineers for creating a tool that monitored employee layoffs via internal Slack data.
Pinterest has terminated two engineers after discovering that they developed an internal monitoring tool designed to track employee layoffs. The tool reportedly scanned internal platforms such as Slack to detect when employees were removed from communication channels, serving as an early indicator of job terminations.
According to a company spokesperson, the engineers used custom scripts to access confidential company information, including the names and locations of dismissed employees, and shared this data more widely within the organisation. Pinterest stated that this action constituted a clear violation of company policies and breached the privacy of affected employees.
Monitoring internal tools for signs of layoffs, such as deactivated accounts or removed profiles, is an informal practice commonly observed among employees during restructuring phases. However, Pinterest emphasised that automating this process crossed internal governance and data access boundaries.
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The development of the monitoring tool reportedly followed Pinterest’s announcement to investors about plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 15 percent, affecting around 700 roles. The company had stated that the layoffs were part of a strategic shift toward increased use of artificial intelligence, without disclosing which teams would be impacted.
Pinterest’s decision comes amid widespread job cuts across the global technology sector. Companies are increasingly restructuring operations to streamline costs and integrate AI-driven efficiencies, leading to heightened uncertainty among employees.
Amazon recently announced a second round of mass layoffs, cutting about 16,000 corporate roles within three months, citing efforts to reduce bureaucracy and improve operational efficiency. According to data from Layoffs.fyi, nearly 700,000 tech workers have been laid off globally over the past four years, highlighting the scale of workforce reductions across the industry.
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