Explainer · 5 min read

What is productivity spoofing?

Productivity spoofing is making a work computer appear in use when the person isn't working at it, using tools such as mouse jigglers, keep-awake apps, key pressers or scripts. It is also called activity spoofing or work-from-home spoofing. The concern is the misrepresentation of working time, not the tool itself: the same tools have legitimate uses.

By the JiggleGuard team at Techzura Ltd · Published and updated

Four common ways people spoof productivity

Each method produces input or prevents idleness, so the computer can look in use while the person is away. Each also has legitimate uses, which is why context matters.

  1. Mouse jigglers

    A USB dongle, an app or a motorised pad that moves the pointer automatically. Also sold as mouse movers, wigglers or shakers, often advertised as “undetectable”. The three types explained.

  2. Keep-awake apps

    Utilities that stop a computer sleeping or locking. Useful for presentations and downloads. Depending on the tool and platform, some can also keep a chat status from switching to away.

  3. Key pressers

    Gadgets or weights that hold or tap a key, so keyboard activity keeps registering. Regulators have described this as “simulation of keyboard activity”.

  4. Scripts and macros

    Small programs that inject mouse movements or keystrokes on a timer. They can be renamed freely, so they rarely show up by name.

Activity, work and intent are three different things

Most confusion about productivity spoofing comes from treating these as one. A tool can only speak to the first.

  1. 1 · Apparent activity

    What the computer reports

    Status lights, idle timers and activity reports. This is what a jiggler or keep-awake tool changes, and the only layer JiggleGuard looks at.

  2. 2 · Actual work

    What gets done

    Output, responsiveness and results. Judged through normal management conversations, not by reading anyone's messages or files.

  3. 3 · Intent

    Why it happened

    A legitimate keep-awake during a download, an accessibility need, or a deliberate attempt to mislead. Only a fair conversation can establish this.

A flag about apparent activity never answers questions 2 or 3 on its own.

Productivity spoofing in the news

Police Service of Northern Ireland, October 2026. The PSNI's Anti-Corruption Unit confirmed it was investigating officers, staff and contractors suspected of “activity” or “productivity spoofing” while working from home: 20 people according to BBC News and 21 according to the Irish News. The force said it had found “no systemic abuse”, and home-working arrangements for those involved were changed or withdrawn. The reports do not say which methods were used.

Wells Fargo, 2024. The US bank dismissed more than a dozen wealth and investment management staff. Disclosures to FINRA, the US securities regulator, said they were discharged “after review of allegations involving simulation of keyboard activity creating impression of active work” (Financial Planning). The disclosures don't say how the activity was identified.

Both cases show the same pattern: suspicion is easy, but a fair outcome depends on clear evidence and a proper process.

How to respond to productivity spoofing fairly

  1. Write it into policy. Say whether unauthorised simulated activity is allowed on company devices, with documented exceptions for legitimate uses such as presentations, long downloads, accessibility needs and approved automation.
  2. Be transparent. Under UK GDPR and the ICO's guidance on monitoring workers, staff should know what is checked and why, and monitoring needs a lawful basis and must be necessary and proportionate. Carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) where the monitoring is likely to be high risk.
  3. Use the least intrusive check. You don't need screenshots or a record of typed text to ask whether input looks machine-generated. Collect only what that question needs.
  4. Treat a flag as a question. Talk to the person privately, show what was found and let them explain. A green status or a flag alone doesn't establish misconduct or intent.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Detect productivity spoofing without reading anyone's work

JiggleGuard flags suspected artificial input on Windows work computers, from jigglers to keep-awake apps, without recording typed text. Each flag shows a reviewer which signals fired. Private beta; macOS in development.

Questions about productivity spoofing

Is productivity spoofing illegal?

It depends on the jurisdiction, the facts and the employer's policies. Owning or using a mouse jiggler isn't generally an offence. UK employment-law commentary tends to treat deliberately misrepresenting working time as a potential conduct issue, decided under the employer's own policies and a fair process. We haven't identified a UK employment tribunal decision about mouse jigglers in the sources we have reviewed. This is general information, not legal advice; take qualified advice on a specific case.

What is the difference between productivity spoofing and productivity theatre?

Productivity theatre is looking busy through behaviour, such as sending extra messages or attending unnecessary meetings. Productivity spoofing is making the activity signal itself misleading, using a gadget, app or script so a computer looks in use when the person isn't working at it.

Did the PSNI investigation involve mouse jigglers?

The published reports do not say which methods were involved. They describe officers, staff and contractors suspected of taking steps to appear active while away from their laptops. Any claim that the PSNI caught people using mouse jigglers goes beyond what has been reported.

How can employers detect productivity spoofing fairly?

Start with a clear policy on simulated activity, with exceptions for legitimate uses. Tell staff what is checked and why, and carry out a data protection impact assessment where the monitoring is likely to be high risk. Use the least intrusive check that can show whether input looks machine-generated, combine more than one signal, and treat any flag as the start of a private conversation, not a verdict.