ItalyEnergy and utilities2021–2023L'Igiene Urbana Evolution
Facial recognition for waste-service employee attendance
L'Igiene Urbana Evolution suspended facial attendance tracking after an inspection and later received a €70,000 fine
Problem
The waste-services company said it adopted biometric attendance tracking to address absenteeism and disputes over overtime pay.
Approach
The company activated facial attendance tracking in December 2021 and used it across several sites. It suspended the system in January 2023 after the Garante began investigating employee complaints. The company said it had relied on the manufacturer's GDPR compliance declaration. In February 2024, the regulator found the processing unlawful and imposed a €70,000 fine.
Results
Takeaway
The company relied on a device compliance declaration without establishing a lawful basis for its own use of employee biometrics.
Categories
- Industry
- Energy and utilities
- Business function
- Human resources
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Computer vision
- Adoption
- Vendor solution
- Goal
- Quality and risk
- Evidence
- Regulator, audit or court
Sources
Source summaries
The decision documented operation from December 2021 until January 2023, the company's explanation, and the €70,000 sanction. It found no suitable legal basis for biometric attendance processing.
This newsletter section described five related sanctions involving a shared workplace attendance system. It reported inadequate safeguards and ordered deletion of unlawfully collected data.
Full details are in the original sources.
