Ask Onix
Pinterest dismisses staff over privacy breach
Two engineers at the visual discovery platform were terminated after creating software to monitor which employees lost their jobs during recent layoffs, the company confirmed.
Background on workforce reductions
Pinterest announced earlier this month it would eliminate approximately 15% of its workforce-around 700 positions-as part of a strategic shift toward artificial intelligence. Chief Executive Bill Ready outlined the decision in an internal email, portions of which were later shared on LinkedIn by an employee.
How the tracking occurred
The two engineers developed custom scripts that accessed confidential company data without authorization, a Pinterest spokesperson told the BBC. The code was designed to interact with internal communication tools, including Slack, generating alerts whenever employee accounts were deactivated or removed from channels.
A source familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity, said the scripts effectively revealed the identities of workers affected by the layoffs. The company called the actions a "clear violation" of privacy policies and internal trust.
Broader tech industry layoffs
Pinterest's job cuts reflect a wider trend across the technology sector. Amazon announced 16,000 redundancies the same week, marking its second major round of layoffs in three months. Meta also reduced its workforce by several hundred employees earlier this year, while Google, Microsoft, and other industry leaders have implemented significant staff reductions.
According to Layoffs.fyi, a site tracking reported cuts, approximately 700,000 tech workers have lost their jobs over the past four years. Observers often monitor internal tools like Slack to identify colleagues who have been let go, as disappearing from channels can signal termination.
Unanswered questions
The identities of the two dismissed engineers remain undisclosed, and the BBC has not been able to reach them for comment. Pinterest has not specified whether additional disciplinary measures or policy changes will follow the incident.
