Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Ikea France Goes On Trial For Spying On Staff

Ikea France Goes On Trial For Spying On Staff

Ikea France is being prosecuted as a corporate entity along with several of its former executives in Versailles, southwest of Paris.

The French branch of Swedish retailing giant Ikea went on trial Monday accused of running an elaborate system to spy on staff and job applicants using private detectives and police officers.

Ikea France is being prosecuted as a corporate entity along with several of its former executives in Versailles, southwest of Paris.

Journalists uncovered the surveillance scheme in 2012 and magistrates began investigating after the Force Ouvriere (FO) union lodged a legal complaint.

Prosecutors say Ikea France collected details on hundreds of existing and prospective staff, including confidential information about criminal records, as part of a "spying system".

The firm sometimes targeted union members and their representatives, prosecutors allege.

"This trial must set an example," said Adel Amara, a former FO union rep at an Ikea store.

Ikea France, which employs 10,000 people, faces a fine of up to 3.75 million euros ($4.5 million).

The 15 people being tried in the court include former store managers and top executives such as former CEO Stefan Vanoverbeke and his predecessor, Jean-Louis Baillot, who were both present on Monday.

The group also includes four police officers accused of handing over confidential information.

The charges include illegally gathering personal information, receiving illegally gathered personal information, and violating professional confidentiality, some of which carry a maximum prison term of 10 years.

"We're here to today to show that there are these types of actions inside companies that police trade unions and above all their employees," a senior member of the hard-left CGT union, Amar Lagha, told reporters.

 'Get rid of that person'


Jean-Francois Paris, Ikea France's former director of risk management, was allegedly at the heart of the system.

Prosecutors say he regularly sent lists of names to private investigators, whose combined annual bill could run up to 600,000 euros, according to court documents seen by AFP.

The court is investigating Ikea's practices between 2009 and 2012, but prosecutors say they started nearly a decade earlier.

Among the targets was a staff member in Bordeaux "who used to be a model employee, but has suddenly become a protester", according to an email sent by Paris.

"We want to know how that change happened," he said, wondering whether there might be "a risk of eco-terrorism".

In another case, Paris wanted to know how an employee could afford to drive a brand-new BMW convertible.

Such messages usually went to Jean-Pierre Foures, the boss of surveillance company Eirpace.

He would then send Paris confidential information, which prosecutors say he got from the police database STIC with the help of the four officers.

Prosecutors say the information flow may even have gone both ways, with an internal Ikea France document recommending handing over its report about an employee to police "to get rid of that person via a legal procedure outside the company".

Emmanuel Daoud, a lawyer for Ikea France, rejected the spying accusations, but acknowledged that the case had revealed "organisational weaknesses".

He said the company had since implemented an action plan, including a complete revamp of hiring procedures.

"Whatever the court rules, the company has already been punished very severely in terms of its reputation," he said ahead of the trial.

Founded in 1943, Swedish multinational Ikea is famous for its ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories which are sold in around 400 stores worldwide.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×