Meanings
- derogatoryinformaluncountablecomputingSoftware that monitors employees' computer activity so that their supervisor can track what they are doing.
Rather than imposing privacy-invading tattleware on their employees, employers should instead reevaluate how they measure success. Is it about “productivity?” Or is it about results?
2021 October 19, Emma McGowan, “'Tattleware' not only intrusive but ineffective”, in Avast Blog1 more example
Amid the rise of “bossware” or “tattleware” – essentially spyware that enables managers to monitor their employees working from home – is a new program called Sneek, which uses your webcam to take a photo of you about once a minute and makes it available to your supervisor, to prove that you are not away from your desk doing God knows what.
2021 September 16, Jessa Crispin, “Employers are spying on Americans at home with ‘tattleware’. It’s time to track them instead”, in The GuardianSynonyms: bossware
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSoftware that monitors employees' computer activity so that their supervisor can track what they are doing.
Origin
Cite this entry
tattleware. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tattleware
“tattleware.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tattleware. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tattleware,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tattleware.
Source: tattleware on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.