Ikea has admitted installing surveillance cameras in ceiling voids above toilets at its Peterborough distribution centre in 2015, with the intention of catching illegal drug activity. An investigation found that when ceiling tiles became loose, some cameras inadvertently recorded communal areas of the bathrooms.
The furniture giant said the cameras were placed in 10 bathroom facilities following serious concerns about drug use on site, which could have endangered worker safety. The cameras were only meant to film within the void, but two cameras captured footage of communal areas in 2017 after tiles became dislodged. Ikea stressed that no footage of toilet cubicles was recorded or viewed at the time.
The discovery of the cameras in September 2021 prompted an investigation by an independent third party. Former employee Shannon Bodily expressed shock upon learning of the cameras, though she had never noticed them during her time at the depot.
An Ikea spokesman apologised for the distress caused, stating that policies for camera use have been revised and strict controls implemented. The findings have been reported to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK data privacy regulator.
