Exclusive: Unions seek privacy probes over Amazon’s work surveillance systems

A worker collects goods for purchase orders at a storehouse of the Amazon Logistic Center in Germany.

Trade unions from 11 different EU countries have written to data protection authorities across the bloc asking them to investigate Amazon’s data surveillance practices, according to a letter seen by Euronews today (7 May).

The union leaders, from European countries where Amazon’s warehouses employ significant numbers of workers – including Austria, Germany, Ireland and Spain – question the online marketplace’s use of surveillance and algorithmic management. They claim that the tech giant uses hand scanners, activity monitoring software, video cameras, GPS devices and other tracking technologies, which has consequences on workers’ mental and physical health.

The unions therefore ask the national data protection authorities to follow the example of France. In December 2023, following an investigation the French Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL) imposed a €32m penalty on Amazon France Logistique. The company was found in violation of the EU data protection rules by creating an “excessively intrusive system” for monitoring employee activity and performance, along with penalties for inadequate video surveillance protocols.

Amazon was also hit with a €746m fine for processing personal data in violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by the Luxembourg data protection authority in 2021.

Facilities

Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa, said in a statement to Euronews that the workers management systems “undermine the trust between workers and management but also highlight a systemic disregard for our privacy laws.”

“It’s high time that we stand up and demand that these multinational companies respect workers’ personal data and their right to a dignified workplace. We need robust action now to ensure that our laws are fully enforced,” Roethig said.

The letter comes as the marketplace also finds itself in the crosshairs of EU lawmakers. Last month, five social-democrat politicians visited Amazon facilities in Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, after representatives from the e-commerce platform were banned from entering the European Parliament following a call from the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) after the company failed to attend a series of hearings and factory visits in 2021 and 2023.

During the visits, conducted together with trade union representatives, the lawmakers wanted to hear more about working conditions from employees.

Amazon saw its 14 Parliament access badges withdrawn in February, and no new ones will be issued until further notice. Sarah Tapp, a spokesperson for Amazon told Euronews at the time that the company remains open for a “constructive dialogue on issues facing the logistics industry, and [Amazon] remains committed to engaging with the [EMPL] Committee”.

In a blogpost published last month – with the opening of Amazon’s Operations Innovation Lab in Italy – Sarah Rhoads, the company’s Vice-President Global Workplace Health & Safety, stressed its continued focus on investment, innovation, and invention on behalf of safety.

“Employees are the heart and soul of our operations which is why the technology we deploy at our sites is always focused on serving our team and making our operations safer. Our continued investment in robotics helps reduce employees’ physical workload and repetitive tasks that can cause injuries, while also helping them gain new skills that can advance their career,” Rhoads said.

Amazon has been contacted for a response.