France’s data privacy watchdog, the CNIL, has fined Amazon’s logistics subsidiary in France €32 million, or $35 million at today’s exchange rate. The CNIL says that Amazon France Logistique has implemented a “surveillance system” that is “overly intrusive.”
Key Takeaway
The CNIL fined Amazon’s logistics subsidiary in France €32 million, or $35 million, for implementing an “overly intrusive” surveillance system, focusing on the warehouse barcode scanner and data gathering practices. Amazon disagrees with the CNIL’s conclusions and plans to make adjustments to its system.
Amazon’s Surveillance System
The CNIL is focusing on the warehouse barcode scanner and Amazon’s data gathering practices related to the connected device. When an order is processed, an Amazon picker grabs a product, scans it with the connected scanner, and puts it into a crate so that it can be shipped to the customer. Similarly, employees use the scanner to store new items in the warehouse.
Indicators tracking the inactivity time of employees’ scanners were put in place. The CNIL ruled that it was illegal to set up a system measuring work interruptions with such accuracy, potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption.
GDPR Violations
Both the “idle time” and the “latency under ten minutes” indicators are deemed illegal by the CNIL when it comes to data processing. The CNIL is using the GDPR as the legal basis of the case.
Amazon’s Response
Amazon published a statement disagreeing with the CNIL’s conclusions, stating that the company might appeal the decision. Amazon argues that it isn’t the only company in the logistics industry using a connected warehouse management system. The company also plans to disable the “stow machine gun” indicator and extend the threshold limit for the “idle time” metric.
