A growing number of workplace applications are collecting vast amounts of employee data and, in many cases, sharing or selling that information to third-party companies without workers’ knowledge or permission, according to a recent analysis by privacy-focused tech company Incogni.
The company, which specializes in helping users locate and remove personal information from online databases, examined several employer-provided tools and widely used workplace communication platforms. The findings revealed how deeply integrated data collection has become in modern work environments, raising fresh concerns about employee privacy and cybersecurity.
“Collectively, these apps account for over 12.5 billion downloads on Google Play alone,” the Incogni post on the findings said. “On average, workplace apps collect around 19 data points and share approximately 2 data types [per user]. The three Google and Microsoft apps (Gmail, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams) cluster at the top of the collection spectrum, each gathering 21–26 data types.”
The report highlighted that common communication platforms such as Gmail, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams often gather extensive user information. However, unlike consumer-focused platforms that sometimes provide opt-out settings, many workplace-mandated tools do not offer employees the ability to refuse data collection.
According to Incogni, productivity tracking and monitoring applications are especially aggressive in sharing information with outside organizations. Beyond standard details such as email addresses, location data, contacts, and app activity, some applications may also collect sensitive financial or health-related information.
The report identified Notion as one of the most data-sharing-intensive platforms reviewed. Using the app as an example, Incogni stated that it “shares the most data with third parties, distributing 8 distinct data types to third parties—including email addresses, names, user IDs, device or other IDs, and app interactions.”
Privacy experts warn that this growing exchange of employee data creates significant risks. Once personal information is transferred to multiple external entities, workers may lose visibility and control over how their data is being used. In addition, broader distribution increases exposure to cyberattacks and data breaches, incidents that platforms like Slack and Zoom have previously experienced.
“People tend to think of workplace apps as safe tools, but they don’t exist in isolation,” Incogni CEO Darius Belejevas told enterprise technology publication No Jitter. “A lot of them are part of much larger data ecosystems. Once information is collected, especially if it’s shared with third parties, it can travel much further than users expect.”
Experts suggest employees can lower some of these risks by limiting personal activity on workplace communication platforms and avoiding the use of personal devices for professional work whenever possible.
At the same time, businesses are being encouraged to prioritize stricter privacy protections when selecting workplace software. Organizations may benefit from requiring vendors to reduce unnecessary data collection and restrict third-party sharing practices before adopting enterprise tools.
“Workplace applications that access and share employee information can pose significant security and privacy risks for organizations,” Sarah McBride told No Jitter. “These risks arise from the sensitive nature of the data involved, the potential for misuse, and vulnerabilities in the applications themselves.”
