Share Pinterest has dismissed two engineers who developed a custom software tool to identify which colleagues had lost their jobs during a recent round of mass redundancies. The company confirmed the firings this week, stating that the employees had violated corporate policy and compromised the privacy of the departing staff. The controversy began following Pinterest’s announcement that it would cut approximately 15% of its workforce, affecting roughly 700 roles. Chief executive Bill Ready informed staff via email that the company was “doubling down on an AI-forward approach” as part of a strategic shift. While the company disclosed the scale of the layoffs to investors, it did not initially specify which teams or individuals were being let go. In response to the uncertainty, the two engineers reportedly wrote custom scripts (code designed to automate tasks) to monitor internal communication tools like Slack. Cleverly, the scripts were designed to trigger an alert whenever an employee’s account was deactivated or removed from the system, effectively mapping out the layoffs in real time. A company spokesperson told the BBC that the pair “improperly accessed confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees and then shared it more broadly.” The identities of the engineers have not been made public, and it remains unclear if the data was shared only internally or with external parties. During a company-wide meeting, Bill Ready addressed the situation, noting that while “healthy debate and dissent are expected,” staff should consider working elsewhere if they are “working against the direction of the company.” The incident highlights the growing tension within the tech sector as firms pivot toward artificial intelligence. Pinterest’s move follows a broader industry trend as Amazon cuts 16,000 roles in its second round of redundancies in three months. Other giants, including Meta and Google, have also significantly reduced their headcounts to redirect resources toward AI development. Industry experts note that while checking for “disappearing” coworkers on Slack is a common practice during layoffs, the use of automated scripts to aggregate and broadcast that data often crosses a legal and ethical line regarding data protection and employee privacy. For Pinterest, which has seen its shares drop by more than 20% this year, the fallout represents a “critical moment” in its effort to realign its culture with its new AI-driven mission. For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv Share this: