Disclosure
Employee questions about SnitchOS
Written to be handed to staff directly. It answers what SnitchOS collects, what it does not, and who to ask about the settings your employer chose.
SnitchOS is workforce activity software that an employer installs on company-owned Windows devices. Your employer decides whether it is used, what is enabled, who may view the results, and how long they are kept. This page explains the parts that are the same everywhere.
It is not legal advice. Monitoring notice and consent rules vary by state and country. If you have questions about your rights, your employer and, where relevant, your own counsel are the right places to ask.
Collection boundaries
What is and is not collected
Collected
- The current application, window title, user, and whether you are active or idle
- Applications and websites used
- Counts of keystrokes, mouse clicks, and mouse distance
- Screenshots, about one every 60 seconds while you are active
- Basic device and service-health details
Not collected
- Which keys were pressed, or anything typed
- Clipboard, file, or message contents
- Audio, microphone, or webcam data
- Saved passwords, or website query strings and fragments
Screenshots, window titles, and website addresses can still show sensitive information even though typed content is never recorded. If you handle personal or sensitive material on a monitored device, raise it with your employer.
Common questions
Answers to what staff usually ask.
Is this recording what I type?
No. SnitchOS counts keystrokes and mouse clicks as a measure of activity volume. It does not record which keys were pressed, and it does not capture anything you type.
Can it read my messages, files, or clipboard?
No. Message bodies, file contents, and clipboard data are not collected.
Does it use my webcam or microphone?
No. Audio, microphone, and webcam data are not collected.
Does it capture my passwords?
Saved passwords are not collected. Website addresses are stored without query strings or page fragments, which is where sign-in details usually appear.
Does it take screenshots?
Yes. About one image every 60 seconds while you are actively using the device. Frames are skipped while the device sits idle, and an image identical to the one before it is discarded rather than stored. There is no setting that turns screenshots off. A screenshot can show whatever is on screen, so ask your employer who is allowed to view them.
Does it run outside working hours?
The agent runs whenever the device is on and someone is signed in, so it does not stop at the end of a shift. There is no scheduled on/off window. What your employer can do is pause monitoring for an individual, which stops all collection for that person until it is switched back on. Ask your employer what applies to you.
Is the software hidden?
No. It runs as a visible Windows service named SnitchOSAgent, appears in Task Manager, and is listed in installed programs.
Is it on my personal device?
SnitchOS is intended for company-owned or company-controlled devices that your employer is authorized to manage.
Who can see my activity?
Only the accounts your employer has assigned. Access can be limited to specific people and set to read-only. Your employer can tell you which named people have access.
How long is my activity kept?
Screenshots stay in primary storage for 30 days, move to archive storage until they are 365 days old, and are then deleted. Records of the applications and websites you used are kept indefinitely by default. Those are platform-wide defaults rather than something each employer sets.
Can I see what has been collected about me?
Ask your employer. Access rights depend on your location and your employer's policy, and your employer controls the data.
Who do I ask about this?
Your employer, or whoever manages IT for your company. They configure what is collected and who can see it, so they are the right place to start.