Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Big Brother Watch
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

Workers fighting compulsory facial recognition with Big Brother Watch – and winning.

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


My name is John* and I work as a cleaner. I’d like to tell you about how I fought for workers’ rights not to have to use compulsory facial recognition to clock in and out of work.

Seven of us cleaners, formerly employed by the council at a school, were transferred to an outsourcing company to continue to work as cleaners at the school.

This company gave us a new contract to sign. This contract explained the “clocking in system”, which is via an app, and said by signing the contract we were giving consent to the use of facial recognition. It even said that, if we didn’t have our phones, data and use the facial recognition to log in, we wouldn’t be paid for our work.

In my gut, I did not like the feeling of coercion about this. It felt controlling and dehumanising. It was the icing on the cake of 2020. I felt severely stressed from the day I saw the new contract and started sleeping poorly.

It wasn’t just me. My colleagues were affronted at having to use their own phone, data and facial recognition for work. All of us instinctively felt that it was dehumanising to be forced to clock in this way.

None of us signed the contract.

Unsure of the law or my rights, I emailed Big Brother Watch, whose Twitter account I had seen. The director Silkie Carlo got back to me really promptly. It was very affirming to have my concerns taken seriously, after the company and the school had been unresponsive to cleaners’ voiced concerns.

Full of positive energy about challenging the company, Silkie contacted James Farrar from Worker Info Exchange, who is involved in defending the data rights of app drivers (eg. Uber). He seemed like a great person to consult. (I have since read about the trend of “Uberisation” of work, where employees are made to use apps that treat them as self-employed. I suspect that the company I’m employed by is pushing us towards being Uber-style cleaners too.)

Feeling wound up, I sent a letter of protest about facial recognition to the company and the school. At this point, I was signed off sick with stress by my doctor. To make matters worse, I then received a message from my manager asking me to hand in my notice. James Farrar vehemently advised me not to comply with this – and I did not.

Big Brother Watch sent a letter to the company and the school Headteacher, entitled “Request to desist compulsory facial recognition”. It cited the rights of cleaners to have privacy (Article 8 of European Convention on Human Rights), and the obligations the company has when it proposes to use facial recognition. Such sensitive biometric data invokes a high level of protection under the General Data Protection Act 2018. These obligations include a Data Protection Impact Assessment to ensure any impact on our privacy is necessary and proportionate; and ensuring that cleaners’ consent for facial recognition is freely given and withdrawable without penalisation. This was not the case for me, as “consent” for facial recognition was written into our contract. The letter also asked (on James’ advice) whether the company had registered itself as a Data Controller with the ICO (they probably haven’t), and to see the data sharing agreement between the company and the app provider Chronicle Computing Ltd (there probably isn’t one).

Big Brother Watch’s letter drew out the uncomfortable reality, that the company had probably not fulfilled any of their data protection obligations before trying to push this app onto the cleaners.

Just before Christmas, my manager admitted they “crossed a line” by trying to impose facial recognition on the cleaners. The app will now not be required for us.

I’m still off sick now but will return in January because I like my colleagues and the work is satisfying. Also, because we’re not going to have the facial recognition app!

My plan is to be cheerful and do a good job, even if it’s awkward with the managers.

Thanks Big Brother Watch for standing up for privacy and human dignity.

*Names changed to protect anonymity

If you need help or advice with facial recognition or surveillance at work, you can email us here.

The post Workers fighting compulsory facial recognition with Big Brother Watch – and winning. appeared first on Big Brother Watch.


Source: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/2020/12/workers-fighting-compulsory-facial-recognition-with-big-brother-watch-and-winning/


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.