On the anonymous company review site Glassdoor, your real name can be added without you being informed
Glassdoor – an online site that allows users to leave anonymous reviews of their previous employers – is under fire after it reportedly added names to profiles without users’ consent.
The website, launched in 2007, has been accused of exposing people to the risk of negative reactions from employers and failing to protect their privacy.
The action was reported by an anonymous user named Monica, who shared the news in a blog post titled “Time to delete your Glassdoor account and data.”
In the detailed blog post, she explained that the company now requires its users to provide their real name “and adds it to older accounts without your consent if they learn it.”
“They don’t care that this puts people at risk at their employers. They don’t care that this appears to violate their own privacy policies,” she wrote.
Monica further explained that she became aware of the action of adding her real name to older Glassdoor accounts after responding to a recent support email from the company.
“I noticed that they updated my profile and added my real name and location, the name from the email sender line. I never consented to this change and made this clear when I appealed.”
She added: “I was so focused on my name that I didn’t immediately notice that my city was there too. I don’t know how long it’s been there.”
Accordingly WiredIn July last year, Glassdoor added new social features integrated from Fishbowl, a work-related discussion app acquired in 2021.
The company previously only required users to provide an email address to set up accounts, but has now changed its sign-up process to ask users for their full name, job title and employer, the newspaper reported.
In her blog post, Monica said she was told by members of the company’s “leadership, content and community team” that a Fishbowl account had already been set up for her using her information.
Ultimately, she was told that the only way to remove the information from the platform was to delete her account and data completely.
An email from a Glassdoor employee quoted in her blog post states: “We treat all users equally when it comes to what can and can’t be included in the profile, but we know that sometimes our users, like you, don’t always agree with us.”
“If you do not wish to allow your name on your profile, you will need to complete the data deletion again when you are able to do so. However, we cannot remove this for you or make the changes to your name that you request.”
The Independent has asked Glassdoor for comment on reported changes to user account anonymity.
In a statement to Ars-TechnicaA company spokesperson said: “When a user provides information, either during the sign-up process or by uploading a resume, that information is automatically transferred across all Glassdoor services, including our community app Fishbowl.”
“When using Glassdoor and Fishbowl, there is always the option to remain anonymous. Users can choose to remain completely anonymous when using our community service, or to reveal elements of their identity, such as company name or job title.”