LONDON — The Daily Telegraph made an abrupt U-turn on Monday when it removed workplace monitors from its newsroom just four hours after installing them.

Journalists were surprised to find the OccupEye sensors attached to their desks and took to Googling the brand to find out what they were, BuzzFeed News reported.

The paper told staff in an email the sensors were installed to monitor energy usage so it could reduce power costs, according to BuzzFeed News.

But Britain's National Union of Journalists hit out at the move, describing it as "Big Brother-style surveillance" in the newsroom, the Guardian reported.
The devices are designed to help companies cut costs by reducing the number of desks in the workplace, according to the Guardian.

The battery-powered, wireless sensors can be mounted on walls, ceilings, under chairs, or underneath desks and are triggered by motion and heat.

The Telegraph removed the sensors after receiving negative feedback from staff about their deployment, BuzzFeed News reported.

In a note to staff, the paper said it would look at alternative ways to gather "environmental sustainability" data, according to BuzzFeed News.

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