I don't find this uncommon. I also work as a freelancer, but for local companies (eu). Sometimes the company (banks for example) will ask me to work on one of their laptops, which has vpn and other software that they want. I can of course deny, but then I won't get the contract. As long as I don't feel that they are invading my privacy, like you hear some companies do by taking screenshots, checking for idleness, etc, then I don't mind. In your case I would just rent/buy a new laptop specifically for this job, install their tool and don't worry about it. At the end you can sell your laptop. Or maybe you can work out of a VM running on your laptop, and install it there.
orra|4 years ago
Firms that hire contractors can legitimately require the use of their own equipment, to an extent, on security grounds.
However, a hiring firm installing software on equipment they don't even own? That's an entirely new level of control.
Remember that contractors are free agents compared to employees. The immorality of this spying aside, contractors shouldn't cede this control unless they want to be treated as employees. They might gain paid holidays and better work security by doing so, but permanent employees are underpaid.