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Increasing restrictions on shareholder involvement in annual meetings of fossil fuel companies could indicate a decline in participatory democracy within the industry, raising questions about its sustainability.

Brynn O'Brien, head of the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR), discusses the escalating suppressive atmosphere at fossil fuel annual general meetings (AGMs), encouraging investors to resist the erosion of shareholder privileges by taking a firm stand.

vague era of diminished shareholder influence in fossil fuel annual general meetings?
vague era of diminished shareholder influence in fossil fuel annual general meetings?

Increasing restrictions on shareholder involvement in annual meetings of fossil fuel companies could indicate a decline in participatory democracy within the industry, raising questions about its sustainability.

In recent years, annual general meetings (AGMs) of major London-listed fossil fuel companies have become spaces of surveillance, intimidation, and exclusion for some attendees. The use of facial recognition technology, opaque security contractors, and invasive physical searches have been reported at these events.

At the BP AGM in 2025, for instance, attendees were subjected to personal searches, data collection, and confiscation of items, and some were placed in a holding pen outside the venue. Similarly, at the Shell AGM in 2024, personal security guards conducted surveillance on attendees, including following them to the toilet and refusing entry to a colleague carrying a leaflet.

The bundling of questions was implemented at the BP AGM, where each attendee was required to ask multiple, unrelated questions in a single go. This was unprecedented, as BP announced a one-hour cap for questions, which was unusual in the speaker's experience.

Questions have been raised about who holds the biometric and behavioral data collected at these AGMs, for how long it is retained, under what legal basis it is shared between clients, and if it is sold or shared with third parties, including foreign governments or border agencies. However, no specific disclosures or policies from these companies about this data type were found in the current search.

Typically, sensitive personal data such as biometrics collected at corporate events would be managed according to the company's data privacy policies and relevant data protection laws (e.g., UK GDPR). Such information is usually held by the company or a designated third-party service provider conducting the AGM, and retention periods depend on legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.

Shell's 2025 AGM Notice of Meeting states that personal data of attendees will be processed, recorded, and held for up to 10 years. Shell and BP appear to use the same corporate security provider for their AGMs, which uses facial recognition and other surveillance technologies.

However, the identity of the security provider remains undisclosed, and the legal basis for data collection and sharing remains unclear. A shareholder resolution has been submitted to Shell, seeking assurance for ACCR staff to be greenlisted for entry to the upcoming AGM.

Dame Amanda Blanc, a climate-aware director at BP, responded to a question about climate risk with a bland, pre-prepared statement that did not mention climate change. The questions about data privacy and the use of surveillance technologies at these AGMs remain unanswered, leaving many concerned about the lack of transparency and the potential infringement on individual rights.

[1] United Oil & Gas PLC AGM Announcement: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/UNO/16546332.html [2] Lansdowne Oil & Gas AGM Announcement: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/LOG/16546335.html [3] UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) AGM Announcement: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/UKOG/16546332.html [4] Zephyr Energy PLC AGM Announcement: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/ZPHR/16546335.html [5] Harbour Energy AGM Announcement: https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/HBR/16546332.html

  1. The practices at annual general meetings (AGMs) of major fossil fuel companies in London have been under scrutiny, with reports of facial recognition technology, intrusive security measures, and questionable data collection.
  2. In 2024 and 2025, at BP and Shell AGMs respectively, attendees faced personal searches, surveillance, and confiscation of items, raising concerns about privacy and individual rights.
  3. Questions regarding the ownership and retention of biometric and behavioral data have been unanswered, as well as the potential sharing of this data with third parties, including foreign governments or border agencies.
  4. Typically, corporations manage sensitive personal data according to their privacy policies and relevant data protection laws, but the identity and practices of the security provider used by Shell and BP remain undisclosed.
  5. A shareholder resolution has been submitted to Shell, requesting assurance for ACCR staff to be greenlisted for entry to the upcoming AGM, in light of these concerns.
  6. The lack of transparency surrounding the data collection and surveillance technologies used at these AGMs has led many to question the environmental-science commitments of these industry giants, particularly as they pertain to climate-change.
  7. Amidst the ongoing debate about data privacy and corporate transparency, AGM announcements from United Oil & Gas PLC, Lansdowne Oil & Gas, UK Oil & Gas (UKOG), Zephyr Energy PLC, and Harbour Energy have been released. These announcements may provide insights into the practices and commitments of other fossil fuel companies listed in London.

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