Build A Rocket Boy Employees Take Legal Action Against the Studio Over Data Privacy - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 21 April 2026 / 1,375 Views
A number of unionized employees at MindsEye developer Built a Rocket Boy have taken legal action against the studio over alleged data privacy violations, according to Game Developer.
Members of IWGB Game Workers Union have claimed Built a Rocket Boy refused to be transparent on what data was collected after installing surveillance software called Teramind onto their hardware.
Representatives from IWGB has stated Teramind was removed from the devices in March after 40 employees signed a collective grievance against the studio. Now leadership at the developer has refused to disclose what data was collected, how it was stored, and why the surveillance software was installed.
IWGB said the installation of Teramind was "invasive" and done without the consent of employees.
"The IWGB Game Workers Union, representing the workers, alleges that BARB's use of the software violates both data protection laws and the workforce’s basic dignity, exceeding the legitimate remit of monitoring workers’ productivity or safeguarding the company’s security by recording individuals in their homes and without their consent," said the union.
"In an internal meeting which was leaked to the press, bosses Mark Gerhard and Leslie Benzies confirmed that the software Teramind had been installed without workers' knowledge. The programme tracks users’ key strokes, records screen activity and captures microphone audio."
Members of the IWGB filed separate legal claims against the developer on April 12 due to the mishandling of a redundancy progress that took last in Summer 2026 that resulted in about 330 employees laid off.
The legal claims allege unlawful blacklisting, detriment, and failure to engage in collective consultations. This "could cost BARB millions" if successful.
"Build A Rocket Boy's toxic culture of secrecy and micromanaging is one of the worst I’ve seen in a 20 year career in the gaming industry," said Built a Rocket Boy lead cinematic animator and IWGB member, Chris Wilson.
"While they have conceded to our headline demand of removing Teramind from our devices, many questions still remain about their actions. It can only be assumed this software was added as a part of their effort to micromanage us, a product of their mistrust of their employees. It created an atmosphere of unease, something that doesn’t lead to great video game production."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
