France’s data protection watchdog, Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL), has fined Amazon €32 million ($34.8 million, Rs 290 crore) for its intrusive system of monitoring employees at its French warehouses. The CNIL’s investigation revealed a network of scanners tracking everything from employees’ scan speed to their periods of inactivity exceeding 10 minutes.
The watchdog found such detailed monitoring excessive, potentially forcing staff to justify every break and raising concerns about undue pressure. The CNIL also cited inadequate security measures surrounding video surveillance and retention of all collected data for 31 days, regardless of employee status or activity.
Amazon defends the system as industry standard, essential for operational efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction while CNIL argues that it creates an environment of constant surveillance, impacting employees’ well-being and potentially contributing to Amazon’s competitive advantage through increased pressure and productivity.
The case highlights the growing tension between operational efficiency and employee privacy in the age of digital surveillance. It sends a strong message to companies worldwide that employee monitoring must be conducted within legal and ethical boundaries. It also raises the question of whether current data protection regulations are sufficient to address the challenges of modern workplace surveillance.
