Italy Blocks Amazon Data Use
- Italy’s data protection authority has ordered Amazon’s local logistics unit to stop using personal information belonging to more than 1,800 warehouse employees.
- The decision follows inspections that uncovered sensitive data collection and video‑surveillance practices deemed unlawful.
- The regulator is continuing to investigate additional potential violations at the facility.
Regulator Halts Use of Employee Data
Italy’s privacy watchdog has instructed Amazon Italia Logistica to cease using personal data gathered from staff at its Passo Corese warehouse near Rome. The order also requires the company to stop processing information captured by four surveillance cameras positioned near bathrooms and break areas. Officials said the footage and related data were collected in ways that violated national privacy rules. Amazon responded by stating it is reviewing the authority’s findings and reaffirmed that employee data protection remains a priority.
The company added that it would examine its internal procedures and make adjustments if any compliance issues are identified. The watchdog’s announcement emphasized that the restrictions apply immediately. Data collected during employment and retained for up to ten years is covered by the ban. Further inquiries are underway to determine whether additional breaches occurred.
Sensitive Information Improperly Handled
According to the regulator, Amazon had gathered and shared information that included details about workers’ medical conditions, union involvement and strike participation. Some records also contained personal family matters such as illnesses of relatives or marital difficulties. These categories of data are considered highly sensitive under Italian and EU privacy laws. Employers are prohibited from processing such information unless it is strictly necessary for assessing job‑related skills or fulfilling legal obligations.
The authority concluded that Amazon’s handling of these records did not meet those criteria. Investigators found that the data had been accessible to multiple managers within the company. The watchdog said this level of access increased the severity of the violation. Its findings underscore the strict limits placed on workplace data collection in Europe.
Surveillance Practices Under Scrutiny
The inspection also revealed that cameras near restrooms and break areas were used in ways that conflicted with privacy regulations. These locations are considered sensitive spaces where monitoring must be tightly controlled. The regulator said the company failed to justify the necessity of such surveillance. As a result, all data gathered through these cameras must no longer be processed.
The watchdog noted that the investigation began two weeks earlier following on‑site checks. Its order aims to prevent further misuse of employee information while the inquiry continues. Amazon has not yet disclosed whether it will appeal the decision. The case highlights ongoing tensions between workplace monitoring practices and European privacy standards.
Italy has taken a particularly active role in enforcing data protection rules against major technology companies. In recent years, the country’s regulator has issued significant fines and restrictions related to workplace monitoring, algorithmic management and biometric data use. These actions reflect broader EU concerns about how large employers collect and analyze information about their workforce. The Amazon ruling fits into a growing pattern of European authorities scrutinizing digital oversight tools in logistics and gig‑economy environments.
