ATM employees placed under criminal investigation and stripped of pay after footage from onboard CCTV systems was allegedly shared in sexist group chat.
Milan’s public transport operator ATM has suspended a group of employees from duty and withheld their pay. This follows an internal investigation which found they had allegedly used the company’s security cameras to covertly film women passengers. They then shared the images in private chat groups accompanied by sexist and obscene comments.
Milan prosecutors confirmed the staff have been placed under criminal investigation for illegal access to computer systems. Searches are currently under way at the homes of those involved.
How the scandal came to light
The case was brought to public attention by writer and activist Carlotta Vagnoli. She said she had received screenshots of Instagram stories posted by a passenger who had witnessed the exchange on Saturday morning on tram line 15.
The passenger had been travelling on tram line 15 and was sat next to a driver who was on a break. He was identifiable by his uniform. The driver was exchanging messages in a group called “Staff Ticinese” with what the passenger believed were colleagues.
The chat was said to contain frames from footage captured by surveillance cameras installed on every tram. They depicted women accompanied by sexist comments and obscene phrases. According to reports, the images showed the legs, faces, breasts, and thighs of women. These passengers were unaware that their bodies had become material for a group of men in company uniform.
The initial complaint that formally triggered the prosecutors’ investigation, however, came from a woman who said she had found intimate images of herself online. They had been taken from a tram’s onboard camera, alongside sexist remarks made by ATM staff.
ATM’s response
ATM said it had launched an internal investigation promptly after the incident was reported. In a statement, the company said it had “already launched an internal investigation on Sunday.” It had also “taken action with the utmost care to shed full light on the incident, to verify the correct use of company resources, and to protect customers and the thousands of honest employees who work every day to serve the city.” “We firmly believe in respect as a fundamental and non-negotiable value,” ATM added. “We will take action in all appropriate forums regarding any irregularities committed.”
By Tuesday the company had gone further, announcing the suspension of all employees involved, with immediate loss of pay.
Milan mayor Beppe Sala called on ATM to “shed light on the matter.” He said, “If those responsible are identified, there must be no action that will put those who committed these acts in a position to cause further harm.”
