Why leading companies are prioritizing privacy

Technologies such as camera-based sensors and desk occupancy sensors can expose you to employee backlash and legal risk.

Why leading companies are prioritizing privacy in the workplace

Privacy and security must be non-negotiable when choosing how to measure workplace performance. Technologies such as camera-based sensors and desk occupancy sensors can expose you to employee backlash and legal risk. 

This becomes a serious consideration as more and more companies deploy workplace measurement. 58% of CRE leaders surveyed by CBRE plan to increase their use of utilization data over the coming years.

Which technology they choose can have long-lasting implications.

“If we’re not careful, this acceleration in investing in new infrastructure can result in an accidental surveillance state, Density CEO Andrew Farah said. "That is not a world I would like to live in.”

Employees deserve and expect privacy

In a 2022 survey of more than 1,000 employees, employees ranked privacy as the number one feature of the smarter workplace.

60% of employees say no to cameras inside the workplace.
Source: 2022 Employee Insights on Hybrid Work

That discomfort has, at times, erupted. Students at Northeastern University rebelled against desk sensors installed without their consent. Customers have shared similar stories with us — employees speaking out and objecting to cameras in the workplace.

Leading companies have the same concerns, wanting to deliver on their employees’ outspoken expectation of privacy in the workplace.

“It was important for us when we were putting in space sensors that they not identify people," said Larry Charlip, Take-Two Interactive. "We have to be protective of our business — but we also have to be protective of our employees' information and data.”

That leaves only one option: technology that’s anonymous at source.

Anonymous at source vs. anonymous at the edge

Anonymous at source means that data is anonymized at the point of collection, a more robust and secure form of data privacy. 

Rather than saying, “This technology won’t capture personally identifiable information, I promise!”, anonymous at source means that the technology can’t capture this information to begin with. There is no need to worry about someone intercepting or stealing the data and using it for malicious purposes.

Density uses sensors, not cameras, and anonymizes data at the point of collection. It’s the difference between don’t be evil and can’t be evil.

Density sensors are not cameras

Employees at leading companies are increasingly vocal about their expectations for privacy. The good news: an emerging class of sensor technologies is making that possible. Density’s sensors provide immense functional value while ensuring the absolute protection of individuals’ privacy.

Add to that that we manufacture all our devices in our factory in Syracuse, New York, and control 100% of the software (firmware) loaded onto each device.

Simply put, that is why Fortune 500 companies choose Density over other solutions. 

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Key Takeaways

58% of CRE leaders surveyed by CBRE plan to increase their use of utilization data over the coming years.
In a survey of more than 1,000 employees, employees ranked privacy as the number one feature of the smarter workplace.
Anonymous at source means that data is anonymized at the point of collection, a more robust and secure form of data privacy. 
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