Ikea France faces trial for ‘snooping on’ staff

The French subsidiary of Ikea will go on trial on Monday over allegations that it snooped on employees and customers by using private detectives and police officers, BBC News repprts.

Ikea France will be tried as a corporate entity alongside several of its former executives.

Prosecutors say Ikea France set up a "spying system" across its operations.

The 15 people in the dock include top executives such as former CEO Stefan Vanoverbeke, and former store managers.

Four police officers are also on trial for handing over confidential information.

Ikea has already fired four executives over the scandal and put in place a new code of conduct. However, the company still faces a fine of up to €3.75 million ($4.5 million).

The allegations first came to light in 2012 after an Ikea insider leaked emails between the company and a security company to the satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné.

The emails suggested that the firm was seeking access to records about its staff and customers from a police database holding millions of names and the personal information of criminals, victims and even witnesses.

Two unions filed complaints against Ikea, accusing them of spying on hundreds of employees and customers.

The court is investigating the period between 2009 and 2012, but prosecutors say practices started nearly a decade earlier.