Amazon Fined $35 Million by French Regulator for Intrusive Worker Surveillance

The company disputes the findings, arguing that warehouse management systems are industry standard and necessary for operational safety and efficiency.

Amazon's French warehouse management unit, Amazon France Logistique, has been fined €32 million ($35 million) by France's data protection agency, the CNIL, for 'excessively intrusive' surveillance of its workers.
The CNIL found that Amazon used handheld scanners to track employees' activities to the second, including periods of inactivity and the speed at which tasks were performed.
The CNIL deemed the surveillance system as illegal under the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, criticizing Amazon for keeping employee data for 31 days and requiring employees to justify every break or interruption.
Amazon has disputed the CNIL's findings, stating that warehouse management systems are industry standard and necessary for ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency of operations.
The CNIL's investigation was initiated following complaints by employees and media coverage of the working conditions in Amazon's warehouses.