The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does not prohibit surveillance of employees in the workplace. Still, it requires employers to follow special rules to ensure that the rights and freedoms of employees are protected when processing their personal data. The GDPR applies to any processing of personal data in the context of the activities of an establishment of a controller or a processor in the EU, regardless of whether the processing takes place in the EU or not. The GDPR also applies to the processing of personal data of data subjects who are in the EU by a controller or processor not established in the EU, where the processing activities are related to the offering of goods or services to data subjects in the EU or the monitoring of their behaviour as far as their behaviour takes place within the EU.
The GDPR requires that any processing of personal data must be lawful, fair and transparent, and based on one of the six legal grounds specified in the regulation. The most relevant legal grounds for employee surveillance are the legitimate interests of the employer, the performance of a contract with the employee, or the compliance with a legal obligation. The GDPR also requires that any processing of personal data must be limited to what is necessary for the purposes for which they are processed, and that the data subjects must be informed of the purposes and the legal basis of the processing, as well as their rights and the safeguards in place to protect their data.
The GDPR also imposes specific obligations and restrictions on the processing of special categories of personal data, such as biometric data, which reveal racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, or which are processed for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person. The processing of such data is prohibited, unless one of the ten exceptions listed in the regulation applies. The most relevant exceptions for employee surveillance are the explicit consent of the data subject, the necessity for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights of the controller or of the data subject in the field of employment and social security and social protection law, or the necessity for reasons of substantial public interest.
The GDPR also sets out the rules and requirements for the transfer of personal data to third countries or international organisations, which do not ensure an adequate level of data protection. The transfer of such data is only allowed if the controller or processor has provided appropriate safeguards, such as binding corporate rules, standard contractual clauses, codes of conduct or certification mechanisms, and if the data subjects have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies.
Based on the scenario, the main problem with the 24/7 camera monitoring is that it has no valid legal basis to be implemented in the context of Gentle Hedgehog’s business. This option is the most consistent with the GDPR’s principles and requirements, as it:
Is not based on a valid legal ground for the processing of personal data, as it does not rely on the legitimate interests of the employer, the performance of a contract with the employee, or the compliance with a legal obligation. The legitimate interests of the employer to ensure the productivity, quality and security of the work performed by the employees must be balanced with the rights and freedoms of the employees, and the 24/7 camera monitoring is likely to be disproportionate and intrusive, especially if it covers non-work-related activities and communications. The performance of a contract with the employee does not justify the 24/7 camera monitoring, as it is not necessary for the fulfilment of the contractual obligations of the employee or the employer. The compliance with a legal obligation does not apply to the 24/7 camera monitoring, as there is no specific law or regulation that requires such a measure in the context of Gentle Hedgehog’s business.
Is not limited to what is necessary for the purposes of the monitoring, as it involves the collection and processing of excessive and irrelevant personal data, such as camera and microphone monitoring, which go beyond the scope of the work performed by the employees, and intrude into their private or personal sphere. The 24/7 camera monitoring is also likely to capture personal data of third parties, such as customers, suppliers or visitors, whose consent is required for the monitoring, and whose rights and freedoms may be affected by the processing.
Is not transparent to the employees, as it does not inform them of the monitoring and its precise scope, and does not give them the opportunity to object or opt out of the monitoring. The monitoring is invisible by default, which means that the employees are not aware of when and how they are being monitored, and what personal data are being collected and processed. The so-called Transparent Mode, which regularly and conspicuously notifies all users about the monitoring and its precise scope, is also insufficient, as it does not provide the employees with a clear and comprehensive information notice, nor with a valid and specific consent form, as required by the GDPR.
Involves the processing of special categories of personal data, such as biometric data or data revealing political opinions or trade union membership, which are not necessary or proportionate for the purposes of the monitoring, and which do not fall under any of the exceptions listed in the regulation. The facial recognition technology used by the monitoring system is a form of biometric data processing, which is prohibited by the GDPR, unless the data subject has given explicit consent, or the processing is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights of the controller or of the data subject in the field of employment and social security and social protection law, or the processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest. None of these exceptions apply to the scenario, as the facial recognition technology is not used for any of these purposes, but rather for verifying the identity of the employees each time they log in. The camera and microphone monitoring may also capture personal data revealing political opinions or trade union membership, which are also special categories of personal data, and which are not relevant or proportionate for the purposes of the monitoring.
Involves the transfer of personal data to a third country, such as China, which does not provide an adequate level of data protection, and which may pose additional risks for the rights and freedoms of the employees. The monitoring data, including the facial recognition data, are securely stored in Microsoft Azure cloud servers operated by Sauron Eye, which are physically located in France. However, Sauron Eye is a Chinese vendor of employee surveillance software, whose European headquarters is in Germany. This means that the monitoring data may be accessed or transferred by Sauron Eye to its parent company or other affiliates in China, which is a third country that does not ensure an adequate level of data protection, according to the European Commission. The transfer of personal data to China is only allowed if the controller or processor has provided appropriate safeguards, such as binding corporate rules, standard contractual clauses, codes of conduct or certification mechanisms, and if the data subjects have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies. However, the scenario does not indicate that any of these safeguards or remedies are in place, and therefore the transfer of personal data to China may violate the GDPR.
The other options listed in the question are not the main problem with the 24/7 camera monitoring, as they:
Are not directly related to the GDPR’s principles and requirements, but rather to the national laws and regulations of the member states, which may vary depending on the specific context and circumstances of the monitoring. The GDPR does not specify a precise time limit for the operation of the camera monitoring, but leaves it to the national laws and regulations of the member states to determine the appropriate conditions and safeguards for the monitoring, taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing, as well as the risks for the rights and freedoms of data subjects. The GDPR also does not require the approval of the trade union or the license from the national DPA for the camera monitoring, but leaves it to the national laws and regulations of the member states to establish the appropriate procedures and mechanisms for the consultation and involvement of the relevant stakeholders, such as the employees, the trade unions, the works councils, the DPAs or the courts.
Are not the main problem with the 24/7 camera monitoring, but rather the consequences or the implications of the main problem, which is the lack of a valid legal basis for the monitoring. The operation of the camera monitoring during non-business hours and employee holidays, or the accidental filming of third parties whose consent is required for the monitoring, are not the main problem, but rather the result of the main problem, which is the excessive and disproportionate collection and processing of personal data, which go beyond the scope of the work performed by the employees, and intrude into their private or personal sphere. The approval of the trade union or the license from the national DPA are not the main problem, but rather the potential solutions or remedies for the main problem, which is the absence of transparency and accountability for the monitoring, which do not inform the employees of the monitoring and its precise scope, and do not give them the opportunity to object or opt out of the monitoring.
References:
GDPR, Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49.
EDPB Guidelines 3/2019 on processing of personal data through video devices, pages 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
[EDPB Guidelines 07/2020 on the concepts of controller and processor in the GDPR]
