Making sure Mac M1 doesn't have tracking or screen-capturing software

Question

I was given a new MacBook Air (M1) by my employer for work (from home), but I also want to use it as my main personal laptop as well, since having 2 machines doesn't seem necessary. There a chance there might be some software that "spies" on me and while I don't do anything illegal or not appropriate (like working for competitors or doing personal things during work time) it's an uncomfortable feeling to know that they might know/see my personal notes or files, etc.

BTW, I'm not prohibited from reinstalling software, creating users, etc. With these tools at my disposal, what can I do to make sure there's no tracking software? I don't even care so much about network traffic as about screen capturing, since it's way more confidential.

I already started by erasing the disk and re-installing Big Sur. I checked that SIP is enabled. What else do you think I can do? PS. I do have another mac to do the 'target mode' thing I read about, but didn't do that yet.

Answer 1

If your employer installs management software, you should not use it as a personal machine, or do so with the expectation it's being tracked. The computer is your employer's property so if they tell you to run a certain enrollment process you should not try to work around this.

If it's appropriate to use this as your personal computer, you can and should follow the steps to wipe your computer: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212030. This will ensure you know all the software installed.