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France imposes €32 million fine on Amazon subsidiary for surveillance of workers

Some Amazon warehouse workers in France found themselves under electronic surveillance, leading to a substantial fine for the online retail giant. The Commission Nationale Informatique and Libertés (CNIL), which enforces data privacy laws in France, imposed a €32 million (approximately $35 million) fine on Amazon France Logistique for breaching employee privacy regulations.

Employees at Amazon’s French warehouses utilize barcode scanners to fulfil customer orders and manage incoming items. However, Amazon’s use of scanner data to monitor employee activities, including periods of inactivity exceeding 10 minutes, scanning errors, and breaks lasting 1 to 10 minutes, drew scrutiny from CNIL and raised privacy concerns.

CNIL deemed Amazon’s practice of meticulously tracking interruptions and potentially requiring employees to justify each break or interruption as illegal. In its findings, CNIL highlighted the infringement on employee privacy rights.

Amazon contested CNIL’s conclusions, refuting the allegations and asserting that similar data collection practices are commonplace among companies in France. The company argued that the use of warehouse management systems is standard industry practice, necessary for ensuring operational safety, quality, and efficiency, as well as maintaining accurate inventory tracking and meeting customer expectations.

While Amazon justified its data collection practices as essential for operational purposes, CNIL’s decision underscores the importance of upholding employee privacy rights and ensuring that data collection measures comply with regulatory standards. The fine serves as a reminder to companies operating in France to prioritize employee privacy and adhere to data protection regulations in their workforce management practices.

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