The French branch of Ikea and one of its former presidents were sentenced today to a 1 million euro fine and suspended prison terms for having spied on several hundred employees between 2009 and 2012. The court of Versailles recognized them guilty of “receiving personal data in a fraudulent way”, however condemning them to less severe penalties than those required by the prosecution, excluding in particular the most serious charge, “mass surveillance”.
Among the other 13 defendants in the trial, some were acquitted and others were sentenced with suspended sentences.
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Satisfaction of the trade unions
Abel Amara, a former Ikea employee who helped unmask the offense, called the sentence “a big step in defense of citizens.” “I am pleased that there is justice in France,” he added. Unions have accused Ikea France of collecting personal data by fraudulent means, in particular through illegally obtained police files, and of unlawfully disclosing personal information. Ikea France lawyers denied that the company had a “generalized espionage” strategy. A union lawyer, Solene Debarre, expressed hope that the verdict “will shake some companies.” “One million euros is not much for Ikea, but it is a symbol,” said Debarre.
The admission of the manager
The executive in charge of risk management at the time of the espionage, Jean-Francois Paris, admitted before the French judges that € 530,000 to € 630,000 a year were allocated for such illicit investigations. Paris, the only official to admit the illegal action, said his department was responsible for managing the operation on the orders of former Ikea France CEO Jean-Louis Baillot. Paris was fined € 10,000 and sentenced to 18 months with suspended sentence. Baillot, who denied having ordered an espionage operation, was fined € 50,000 and sentenced to two years with a suspended sentence. Another former CEO of Ikea France was acquitted for lack of evidence.