France fines Amazon $35 million for 'excessively intrusive' monitoring of warehouse staff

Amazon Fined by French Regulator , for ‘Excessively Intrusive’ Staff Surveillance. The French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) announced on Jan. 23 that the manager of the retailer's large warehouses in the country has been fined $34.7 million, CNBC reports. . According to the French regulator, Amazon France Logistique provided employees with scanners to document workplace tasks. The data from the scanners was used to determine the “quality, productivity and periods of inactivity of each employee,” the regulator said. . According to CNIL, "it was illegal to set up a system measuring work interruptions with such accuracy, potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption.”. According to CNIL, "it was illegal to set up a system measuring work interruptions with such accuracy, potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption.”. The practice has been deemed “excessively intrusive.”. Amazon France Logistique reportedly broke several rules established by the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). . Amazon has since issued a statement. . We strongly disagree with the CNIL’s conclusions which are factually incorrect and we reserve the right to file an appeal, Amazon, via statement. Warehouse management systems are industry standard and are necessary for ensuring the safety, quality, and efficiency of operations and to track the storage of inventory and processing of packages on time and in line with customer expectations, Amazon, via statement