PARIS (NEWSnet/AP) — France's privacy watchdog has brought a $35 million fine against Amazon’s warehouse business for using an “excessively intrusive system” to monitor worker performance.

French Data Protection Authority, also known by its acronym CNIL, said the system allowed managers at Amazon France Logistique to track employees so closely it resulted in multiple breaches of European Union's

The watchdog's investigation focused on Amazon employees’ use of handheld barcode scanners to track packages at various points as they move through the warehouse, such as putting them into crates or packing them for delivery.

Amazon uses the system to manage its business and meet performance targets, but the regulator said it's different from traditional methods for monitoring worker activity, putting employees under “close surveillance” and "continuous pressure."

CNIL said the scanner, known as a “stow machine gun,” allows the company to monitor employees to the “nearest second” because it signals an error if items are scanned too quickly.

The system is used to measure employee productivity as well as “periods of inactivity,” but under EU privacy rules, it is illegal to have a system measuring work interruptions with such precision , “potentially requiring employees to justify every break or interruption," CNIL said.

Amazon said it disagrees "strongly" with CNIL's conclusions, calling them factually incorrect and threatened an appeal. 

"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.”

Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.

Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.