TCS Deploys Digital Experience Monitoring Tool on Employee Laptops, Raising Privacy Questions

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has deployed a digital user experience monitoring tool on company-issued laptops, prompting discussions around employee privacy, data security and workplace monitoring.
According to a report by Moneycontrol citing people familiar with the deployment, the technology can provide visibility into applications accessed on employee devices and the time spent on them. The development has raised questions about the extent to which such information could be used to monitor employee activity.
TCS says monitoring is not for individual surveillance
TCS has rejected claims that the technology is being used to conduct individual employee surveillance.
The company said its digital monitoring systems are intended to support network performance, security, availability and overall digital experience rather than track individual employees.
However, several details about the deployment remain unclear, including the identity of the software provider, the full capabilities of the technology, whether employee-level information is collected and which internal teams can access the resulting data.
Client environments add another layer of complexity
The issue is particularly relevant for TCS because of the scale of its workforce, which is approaching 600,000 employees.
Many technology employees also work through client-managed virtual desktop or other controlled environments. Monitoring activity in such environments could raise additional considerations involving client confidentiality, contractual obligations and data protection.
Digital experience monitoring is becoming more common
Digital experience monitoring tools are increasingly used by technology companies to identify application problems, network disruptions and other issues affecting employees’ digital work environments.
Such systems can help IT teams improve workplace technology and cybersecurity. However, questions around employee surveillance can arise when the scope of monitoring, information collected and access controls are not clearly communicated to employees.
TCS has also invested in digital workplace technology. The company recently introduced its Workspace Experience Studio, using Zscaler’s Digital Experience technology alongside workplace observability, zero-trust security and AI-based analytics.
It has not been independently established whether that platform is connected to the monitoring tool reportedly deployed on company-issued laptops.
Balancing security and employee trust
The development highlights a broader challenge facing large technology employers: how to use digital monitoring technologies for cybersecurity and workplace performance without creating concerns about excessive employee surveillance.
Clear policies on what information is collected, why it is collected, how long it is retained and who can access it could become increasingly important as employers expand the use of workplace monitoring technologies.
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