This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57482168
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ikea France fined €1m for snooping on staff | Ikea France fined €1m for snooping on staff |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A French court has ordered Ikea to pay a fine of €1m (£860,000; $1.2m) after the Swedish furniture chain was found guilty of spying on staff in France. | A French court has ordered Ikea to pay a fine of €1m (£860,000; $1.2m) after the Swedish furniture chain was found guilty of spying on staff in France. |
| The former CEO of Ikea France, Jean-Louis Baillot, was given a two-year suspended jail term and €50,000 fine. | The former CEO of Ikea France, Jean-Louis Baillot, was given a two-year suspended jail term and €50,000 fine. |
| The French subsidiary was found to have used private detectives and police officers to collect private data on staff. Evidence came to light in 2012. | The French subsidiary was found to have used private detectives and police officers to collect private data on staff. Evidence came to light in 2012. |
| Stung by the affair, Ikea fired four managers and got a new code of conduct. | Stung by the affair, Ikea fired four managers and got a new code of conduct. |
| The 15 people in the dock at the Versailles court included top executives and former store managers. | The 15 people in the dock at the Versailles court included top executives and former store managers. |
| Four police officers were also on trial for handing over confidential information. | Four police officers were also on trial for handing over confidential information. |
| The mass surveillance system was used by store managers to vet job applicants, as well as checking up on their staff. | |
| Hundreds of staff targeted | Hundreds of staff targeted |
| The prosecution had called for a €2m fine for Ikea and for Baillot to spend a year in prison, along with two years suspended. | The prosecution had called for a €2m fine for Ikea and for Baillot to spend a year in prison, along with two years suspended. |
| The case centred on Ikea France's surveillance of staff during 2009-2012. The scandal was exposed by journalists, then trade unions took legal action. | The case centred on Ikea France's surveillance of staff during 2009-2012. The scandal was exposed by journalists, then trade unions took legal action. |
| The illegal surveillance covered about 400 people, state prosecutor Pamela Tabardel said. | The illegal surveillance covered about 400 people, state prosecutor Pamela Tabardel said. |
| "What's at stake is the protection of our private lives against the threat of mass surveillance," she said when the trial opened in March. | "What's at stake is the protection of our private lives against the threat of mass surveillance," she said when the trial opened in March. |
| Managers were found to have used a private security firm, Eirpace, which in turn collected personal data from the police. It included information about lifestyles and any previous criminal convictions. | Managers were found to have used a private security firm, Eirpace, which in turn collected personal data from the police. It included information about lifestyles and any previous criminal convictions. |
| Read more on other surveillance issues: | |
| The firms paid to delve into sport stars' social media past | |
| Can social media get you fired? | |
| 'I monitor my staff with software that takes screenshots' | |
| The French daily Le Monde described how the spying worked at the Ikea store in Avignon. | |
| Store manager Patrick Soavi told the court how he had got personal data from a cousin in the police. | |
| "I recognise that I was very naïve and rather over-zealous, but we were being asked to carry out these checks, and once I'd put a foot inside this system it was too late," he said. | |
| He asked the policeman, Alain Straboni, to "cast an eye" over 49 candidates selected for Ikea jobs. | |
| After a search on the police computer the reply was that three of them had committed minor offences. | |
| Later Mr Soavi sent another 68 names to be checked, and he was advised to drop five of the candidates. |