Pinterest reportedly fired two engineers after they developed and shared a software tool that could identify colleagues who had been laid off as part of a recent downsizing.
The digital bulletin board company said earlier this month it would cut about 15 percent of its workforce, or about 700 jobs, as Chief Executive Bill Ready said the company was redoubling its focus on an AI-focused approach. Pinterest did not disclose which teams would be affected by the cuts.
After the announcement, two engineers wrote custom scripts that accessed internal systems to flag when employee accounts were deactivated, effectively revealing the names and locations of employees who had lost their jobs. The information was then further disseminated, prompting the company to take disciplinary action.
A Pinterest spokesperson said the engineers “unlawfully accessed confidential company information” and described the actions as a clear violation of company policy and a violation of the affected employees’ privacy. It remains unclear whether the data was shared exclusively with colleagues within the company or outside the company.
The scripts targeted internal communications and access tools, the BBC said, citing a source familiar with the incident. The code reportedly triggered warnings when employee names were removed from internal systems.
Pinterest has increased its investment in artificial intelligence to improve personalization for users and automate tools for advertisers. But investor confidence has been shaken with stocks plunging more than 20 percent this year as markets weigh the competitive threat posed by newer and more advanced AI platforms.
According to CNBC, which first reported the layoffs, Ready told employees in an internal meeting that while debate and disagreement were healthy, employees who fundamentally disagreed with the company’s direction should consider their future elsewhere.
The incident comes amid a broader wave of job losses across the tech sector as companies restructure around AI. Last week, Amazon announced another 16,000 layoffs worldwide, while Meta said it would cut more than 1,000 jobs in its Reality Labs division. Design software maker Autodesk has also confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 jobs this month.
