1.5 million euro fine Cameras at Ikea in Vienna allegedly filmed thousands of card PIN codes
Hidden cameras, filmed PIN entries and thousands of people affected: the Federal Administrative Court has sentenced Ikea in Vienna to pay a fine of millions for serious data protection violations.
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- Ikea has been sentenced to a fine of 1.5 million euros and 150,000 euros in legal costs by the Austrian Federal Administrative Court for illegal video surveillance at its store at Vienna Westbahnhof.
- According to the court, cameras had been filming customers for months, in some cases including their PIN entries, thereby massively violating data protection.
- Ikea denies the allegations, blames a subcontractor and intends to appeal - the ruling is seen as a clear signal for stricter data protection.
The Swedish furniture giant Ikea has been pilloried for illegal video surveillance: the store at Vienna's Westbahnhof is alleged to have secretly filmed passers-by and customers for months - including their PIN entries at the checkout. The Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) has now handed down a harsh verdict: a fine of 1.5 million euros plus 150,000 euros in legal costs, as reported by "Heute".
According to the ruling, a camera in the checkout area actually recorded the PIN entries of identifiable customers and stored them for a full 72 hours. In total, the court found 28 data protection violations - a massive breach of privacy that affected thousands of people, according to the Federal Administrative Court.
Surveillance without a legal basis
And it gets even worse: according to the ruling, other cameras monitored areas without a legal basis - including the entrance, side entrances and even a streetcar and subway station nearby. In some cases, the camera's viewing angle was so wide that there was no longer any question of data protection. The court considered Ikea's justification - for example, for snow clearance checks - to be insufficient.
In addition, several recordings lacked any digital pixelation, although uninvolved persons were clearly recognizable.
Ikea points to external company
Ikea largely rejects the accusations. The company claims that no personal data was processed. Head of Public Relations Christina Strauss explained: "No identification was possible through our system - therefore no data protection violation." Ikea blames a former employee of an external security company - who was, however, unable to implement the prescribed technical protective measures.
The judges took a different view: between 25 March and 25 May 2022, tens of thousands of people are said to have been recorded. Particularly explosive: the surveillance system had gone into operation before a data protection assessment was available.
Ikea wants to appeal
No specific misuse of the recorded PINS was found, nor was anyone financially harmed. However, the court deemed the invasion of privacy to be significant - despite Ikea's willingness to cooperate and the subsequent deletion of the recordings.
But the last word has not yet been spoken: Ikea announced an appeal and described the penalty as "clearly excessive". Data protection is a top priority at Ikea, they say. However, the BVwG's ruling sends a clear signal: Those who monitor must also abide by the rules.
