Amazon France Fined for Excessive Employee Surveillance

CNIL, the French data protection authority, has imposed a 32 million euro fine on Amazon France Logistique, a subsidiary managing Amazon’s large warehouses in France. The fine is in response to what CNIL describes as an "excessively intrusive" surveillance system used to monitor staff performance. According to CNIL, the system included tracking the inactivity time of employees’ scanners and measuring the speed of item scanning, both of which were deemed excessive and illegal.

CNIL’s main concern is the comprehensive nature of data collection and retention by Amazon. The authority found it disproportionate to keep all data and resulting statistical indicators for all employees and temporary workers for as long as 31 days. This practice, according to CNIL, violates employee privacy rights.

In response, an Amazon spokesperson expressed disagreement with CNIL’s decision, highlighting that warehouse management systems are a standard industry practice. They emphasized that these systems are crucial for ensuring safety, quality, and operational efficiency. Amazon also reserves the right to appeal against the fine.

This incident brings to light the growing scrutiny over workplace surveillance practices and the balance between operational efficiency and employee privacy rights. It also underscores the regulatory challenges multinational companies like Amazon face in adhering to diverse data protection laws.