In a significant development, Amazon has been slapped with a hefty €32 million fine by France's data watchdog, CNIL, for what it deems as "excessive" surveillance of its workers. The investigation revealed practices that not only breached General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) but also raised concerns about the invasive monitoring of employees in Amazon's warehouses.
Illegal Surveillance Measures:
The CNIL found Amazon France Logistique, responsible for managing warehouses, guilty of recording data captured by workers' handheld scanners in a manner that was deemed illegal. The watchdog highlighted a system of three alerts that monitored employee activity excessively, leading to potential justifications for each break taken by workers.
Alerts were triggered for actions such as scanning items too quickly, taking breaks of 10 minutes or more, and tracking breaks between one and 10 minutes. The precision of this monitoring raised concerns about micromanagement and the undue stress it could impose on the workforce.
Amazon Strong Disagreement:
Amazon vehemently disagreed with the CNIL's findings, describing them as "factually incorrect." The e-commerce giant defended its warehouse management systems, asserting their industry-standard nature and necessity for ensuring safety, quality, and operational efficiency. Amazon insisted that such systems are crucial for tracking inventory storage and package processing in line with customer expectations.
Past Instances of Surveillance Scrutiny:
This is not the first time Amazon's surveillance practices have come under scrutiny. Similar systems in Amazon warehouses in the UK have been previously highlighted, raising concerns about potential dismissals based on productivity flags. The CNIL's findings echo sentiments expressed by the UK parliamentary select committee, which identified surveillance technology as a source of micromanagement and worker distrust.
GMB Union Reaction:
Reacting to the CNIL's ruling, the GMB union, representing Amazon's UK warehouse workers, emphasized the "bruising levels of scrutiny and surveillance" faced by Amazon's staff. The union underscored the need for a reevaluation of Amazon's surveillance practices, citing concerns about the impact on the mental well-being of the workforce.