HSBC Plans Massive Expansion of Staff and Office Surveillance

Exclusive: HSBC plans major global expansion of office, staff surveillance, documents show

LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L), opens new tab plans to step up surveillance of staff and buildings by adding more cameras and biometric access to its premises globally, internal documents seen by Reuters show, a move that comes amid growing concerns about companies' extensive monitoring of workers. As part of its "global security strategy", the bank plans a four-fold increase in the number of cameras at its new building in the City of London, a site about half the size of its existing office in Canary Wharf, an internal presentation by the bank's protective security team dated May 2025, seen by Reuters, shows. According to the presentation, the new London building is expected to have an estimated 1,754 cameras, up from about 444 devices installed in its current global headquarters in Canary Wharf in London. It also plans to double its biometric readers to access the new building to 779 from 350. Under the plan, reported here for the first time, access to HSBC's top-tier buildings, including in Britain and the U.S., should be based on biometric verification, including full-hand recognition. Access can also be "digital", with employees expected to use their own mobile phones to badge in, the presentation document shows. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank by assets, employs more than 210,000 people globally, including more than 31,000 across the UK. Most employees are expected to use personal mobile phones with a firm-installed software on them to gain access. This has met with some resistance from staff, a person with knowledge of the policies said. As of the end of last year, most of the UK staff had yet to adhere to the biometric and digital access policy which the bank started to implement in 2022, in part because of opposition, according to the person. "The safety and security of our people is at the forefront of everything HSBC does," an HSBC representative told Reuters. "We regularly risk assess every building and dependant on the identified risk and vulnerabilities, we continue to invest in the latest cutting-edge technology to safeguard our colleagues, customers and visitors in line with industry standards," the bank added. Companies have increased surveillance of staff amid a shift to hybrid working, while advances in technology allow for more sophisticated controls. Banks in particular have stepped up monitoring to ensure the parts of their businesses that are heavily regulated comply with conduct rules. National privacy laws determine what companies can monitor. The extensive surveillance enabled by new technologies is raising concerns about risks to workers' rights and wellbeing, according to a May report, opens new tab by the Institute for Public Policy Research, a London-based think tank. In July, HSBC requested that senior staff globally report to the office at least four days a week, starting from October, a bank spokesperson said. Previously, the bank had no global policy on the matter, with approaches varying depending on the country, they said. As demands for office space grow again, the bank has decided to add to its planned City of London HQ, with a new smaller presence in Canary Wharf, Reuters reported. The documents seen by Reuters do not include references to the new Canary Wharf office space. The bank's security project is overseen by Diane Marchena, global head of protective security, who reports to Chief Operating Officer Suzy White, the person with knowledge of the matter said. Marchena and White declined to comment for this article. ISRAELI SURVEILLANCE TOOLS HSBC has been working with Israeli firm Octopus since at least 2024, adopting some of its tools for surveillance in the UK and Hong Kong and is planning more rollouts for monitoring, other documents outlining HSBC's global strategy seen by Reuters show. HSBC plans the deployment of Octopus tools in other countries such as India and Mexico this year, the documents, which are undated, show. Israel is one of the world's leading exporters of surveillance. Octopus says it sells its tools to buyers in 28 countries. Its technology has been reportedly used by entities, including the Israeli government to monitor some Israeli cities and a European Union-funded refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos. A representative for Octopus did not take Reuters calls seeking comment and the company did not respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. An HSBC spokesperson said the bank does not comment on vendors or suppliers. TRADING FLOORS In HSBC's new London building, the increased video surveillance will include cameras at entry and exit points of trading floors, the May 2025 presentation shows, and the use of artificial intelligence analytics. HSBC's budget for the initial rollout of the new London building surveillance was recently tripled to about $15 million, the person familiar with the matter said. According to the presentation, "theft incidents" in its Canary Wharf building "point to the need for increased CCTV capabilities on working floors," and that recent "crime data" showed an increase of incidents, including burglary, within a one-mile radius of the new office. The person familiar with the matter said that theft events on HSBC premises were mostly minor. Reporting by Stefania Spezzati and Iain Withers; editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Jane Merriman Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Cybersecurity Stefania Spezzati Thomson Reuters Stefania is an award-winning reporter who covers European banking at Reuters. Based in London, she chronicles all things finance, breaks news and digs deep into the world's biggest banks. Born in Puglia, Italy, Stefania started working as a financial journalist in Milan for MF-DowJones, a newswire backed by Dow Jones and Milano Finanza. Prior to joining Reuters, Stefania spent about a decade at Bloomberg News, in Milan and London. In 2022, she co-led an investigation which through data journalism exposed how over 130 million pounds in taxpayer-backed loans went to firms with dubious credentials. The story won at the British Journalism Awards in crime and legal affairs journalism.

HSBC plots 'Big Brother' surveillance crackdown on staff

HSBC is planning to ramp up surveillance at its new London offices in a Big Brother-style crackdown on staff. The British bank has been plotting to bolster security measures when it moves into its new City offices, including increasing the the number of CCTV cameras from 444 currently to 1,754. The crackdown is part of a new "global security strategy" being considered by the bank for its new site near St Paul's Cathedral as it prepares to move out of its current offices in Canary Wharf in 2027. According to internal documents, seen by Reuters, HSBC will quadruple the number of cameras. It will also double the number of biometric readers from 350 to 779 in order to verify all staff and guests entering the building. The verification system will see HSBC register people's handprints when entering its most secure buildings. HSBC's plans come despite resistance from staff, who have largely failed to adhere to a new biometric entry systems that was first introduced by the bank in 2022. The bank's move comes amid a wider battle between companies and staff over office working. Hybrid working patterns established during the pandemic have made monitoring staff attendance more difficult, forcing some companies to resort to new technologies to track who is in the office. The bank has been pushing ahead with plans to reduce the size of its office footprint by 40pc worldwide in response to higher levels of hybrid working and in an effort to cut its costs. HSBC's new security strategy was outlined in an internal presentation in May. A source familiar with the matter said the presentation document is now out of date and that the plans will likely change. According to the original presentation, HSBC planned to install new CCTV cameras at the entry and exit points of its trading floors and use artificial intelligence technologies to analyse the footage. The bank's new building is set be half the size of its current Canary Wharf offices - meaning there would be more cameras crammed into a smaller space. The presentation said "theft incidents" in HSBC's Canary Wharf building "point to the need for increased CCTV capabilities on working floors." An HSBC spokesman said: "The safety and security of our people is at the forefront of everything HSBC does." "We regularly risk assess every building and dependant on the identified risk and vulnerabilities, we continue to invest in the latest cutting-edge technology to safeguard our colleagues, customers and visitors in line with industry standards." HSBC, which is Europe's largest bank by assets, currently employs 210,000 staff across the globe including 30,000 in the UK.

HSBC causing alarm among staff with 'security strategy' that adds...

HSBC plans to step up surveillance of staff and buildings by adding more cameras and biometric access to its premises globally, internal documents seen by Reuters show, a move that comes amid growing concerns about companies' extensive monitoring of workers. As part of its "global security strategy," the bank plans a four-fold increase in the number of cameras at its new building in the City of London, a site about half the size of its existing office in Canary Wharf, an internal presentation by the bank's protective security team dated May 2025, seen by Reuters, shows. According to the presentation, the new London building is expected to have an estimated 1,754 cameras, up from about 444 devices installed in its current global headquarters in Canary Wharf in London. It also plans to double its biometric readers to access the new building to 779 from 350. Under the plan, reported here for the first time, access to HSBC's top-tier buildings, including in Britain and the US, should be based on biometric verification, including full-hand recognition. Access can also be "digital," with employees expected to use their own mobile phones to badge in, the presentation document shows. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank by assets, employs more than 210,000 people globally, including more than 31,000 across the UK. Most employees are expected to use personal mobile phones with a firm-installed software on them to gain access. This has met with some resistance from staff, a person with knowledge of the policies said. As of the end of last year, most of the UK staff had yet to adhere to the biometric and digital access policy which the bank started to implement in 2022, in part because of opposition, according to the person. "The safety and security of our people is at the forefront of everything HSBC does," an HSBC representative told Reuters. "We regularly risk assess every building and dependent on the identified risk and vulnerabilities, we continue to invest in the latest cutting-edge technology to safeguard our colleagues, customers and visitors in line with industry standards," the bank added. Companies have increased surveillance of staff amid a shift to hybrid working, while advances in technology allow for more sophisticated controls. Banks in particular have stepped up monitoring to ensure the parts of their businesses that are heavily regulated comply with conduct rules. National privacy laws determine what companies can monitor. The extensive surveillance enabled by new technologies is raising concerns about risks to workers' rights and wellbeing, according to a May report by the Institute for Public Policy Research, a London-based think tank. In July, HSBC requested that senior staff globally report to the office at least four days a week, starting from October, a bank spokesperson said. Previously, the bank had no global policy on the matter, with approaches varying depending on the country, they said. As demands for office space grow again, the bank has decided to add to its planned City of London HQ, with a new smaller presence in Canary Wharf, Reuters reported. The documents seen by Reuters do not include references to the new Canary Wharf office space. The bank's security project is overseen by Diane Marchena, global head of protective security, who reports to Chief Operating Officer Suzy White, the person with knowledge of the matter said. Marchena and White declined to comment for this article. HSBC has been working with Israeli firm Octopus since at least 2024, adopting some of its tools for surveillance in the UK and Hong Kong and is planning more rollouts for monitoring, other documents outlining HSBC's global strategy seen by Reuters show. HSBC plans the deployment of Octopus tools in other countries such as India and Mexico this year, the documents, which are undated, show. Israel is one of the world's leading exporters of surveillance. Octopus says it sells its tools to buyers in 28 countries. Its technology has been reportedly used by entities, including the Israeli government to monitor some Israeli cities and a European Union-funded refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos. A representative for Octopus did not take Reuters calls seeking comment and the company did not respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. An HSBC spokesperson said the bank does not comment on vendors or suppliers. In HSBC's new London building, the increased video surveillance will include cameras at entry and exit points of trading floors, the May 2025 presentation shows, and the use of artificial intelligence analytics. HSBC's budget for the initial rollout of the new London building surveillance was recently tripled to about $15 million, the person familiar with the matter said. According to the presentation, "theft incidents" in its Canary Wharf building "point to the need for increased CCTV capabilities on working floors," and that recent "crime data" showed an increase of incidents, including burglary, within a one-mile radius of the new office. The person familiar with the matter said that theft events on HSBC premises were mostly minor.

Exclusive-HSBC plans major global expansion of office, staff surveillance, documents show

LONDON (Reuters) -HSBC plans to step up surveillance of staff and buildings by adding more cameras and biometric access to its premises globally, internal documents seen by Reuters show, a move that comes amid growing concerns about companies' extensive monitoring of workers. As part of its "global security strategy", the bank plans a four-fold increase in the number of cameras at its new building in the City of London, a site about half the size of its existing office in Canary Wharf, an internal presentation by the bank's protective security team dated May 2025, seen by Reuters, shows. According to the presentation, the new London building is expected to have an estimated 1,754 cameras, up from about 444 devices installed in its current global headquarters in Canary Wharf in London. It also plans to double its biometric readers to access the new building to 779 from 350. Under the plan, reported here for the first time, access to HSBC's top-tier buildings, including in Britain and the U.S., should be based on biometric verification, including full-hand recognition. Access can also be "digital", with employees expected to use their own mobile phones to badge in, the presentation document shows. HSBC, Europe's biggest bank by assets, employs more than 210,000 people globally, including more than 31,000 across the UK. Most employees are expected to use personal mobile phones with a firm-installed software on them to gain access. This has met with some resistance from staff, a person with knowledge of the policies said. As of the end of last year, most of the UK staff had yet to adhere to the biometric and digital access policy which the bank started to implement in 2022, in part because of opposition, according to the person. "The safety and security of our people is at the forefront of everything HSBC does," an HSBC representative told Reuters. "We regularly risk assess every building and dependant on the identified risk and vulnerabilities, we continue to invest in the latest cutting-edge technology to safeguard our colleagues, customers and visitors in line with industry standards," the bank added. Companies have increased surveillance of staff amid a shift to hybrid working, while advances in technology allow for more sophisticated controls. Banks in particular have stepped up monitoring to ensure the parts of their businesses that are heavily regulated comply with conduct rules. National privacy laws determine what companies can monitor. The extensive surveillance enabled by new technologies is raising concerns about risks to workers' rights and wellbeing, according to a May report by the Institute for Public Policy Research, a London-based think tank. In July, HSBC requested that senior staff globally report to the office at least four days a week, starting from October, a bank spokesperson said. Previously, the bank had no global policy on the matter, with approaches varying depending on the country, they said. As demands for office space grow again, the bank has decided to add to its planned City of London HQ, with a new smaller presence in Canary Wharf, Reuters reported. The documents seen by Reuters do not include references to the new Canary Wharf office space. The bank's security project is overseen by Diane Marchena, global head of protective security, who reports to Chief Operating Officer Suzy White, the person with knowledge of the matter said. Marchena and White declined to comment for this article. ISRAELI SURVEILLANCE TOOLS HSBC has been working with Israeli firm Octopus since at least 2024, adopting some of its tools for surveillance in the UK and Hong Kong and is planning more rollouts for monitoring, other documents outlining HSBC's global strategy seen by Reuters show. HSBC plans the deployment of Octopus tools in other countries such as India and Mexico this year, the documents, which are undated, show. Israel is one of the world's leading exporters of surveillance. Octopus says it sells its tools to buyers in 28 countries. Its technology has been reportedly used by entities, including the Israeli government to monitor some Israeli cities and a European Union-funded refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos. A representative for Octopus did not take Reuters calls seeking comment and the company did not respond to a Reuters email seeking comment. An HSBC spokesperson said the bank does not comment on vendors or suppliers. TRADING FLOORS In HSBC's new London building, the increased video surveillance will include cameras at entry and exit points of trading floors, the May 2025 presentation shows, and the use of artificial intelligence analytics. HSBC's budget for the initial rollout of the new London building surveillance was recently tripled to about $15 million, the person familiar with the matter said. According to the presentation, "theft incidents" in its Canary Wharf building "point to the need for increased CCTV capabilities on working floors," and that recent "crime data" showed an increase of incidents, including burglary, within a one-mile radius of the new office. The person familiar with the matter said that theft events on HSBC premises were mostly minor. (Reporting by Stefania Spezzati and Iain Withers; editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Jane Merriman)