Glassdoor users in panic mode: Real names of those trashing workplace revealed?

Glassdoor, a popular website that allows people to review companies anonymously, is under fire after they faced accusations of breaching user privacy. One user, who goes by the name Monica, said on her personal blog that Glassdoor added her name and city to her profile. Prior to this, she had never given her name during the sign-up process. In an email she sent to customer service, Monica accused Glassdoor of obtaining her whole name, which they allegedly updated to her Glassdoor page, as per reports.
According to Business Insider, her experience revealed a change in policy brought about by Glassdoor’s acquisition of the professional networking platform Fishbowl in 2021. Fishbowl’s requirement for user authentication prompted Glassdoor to amend its terms of service to include a similar requirement for verification. This modification may jeopardise the platform’s established policy of maintaining user anonymity. (Also Read: At Dell, those preferring to work from home will not be promoted. Here’s what the company said)
After Monica pointed out the incident, it sparked concerns over data privacy and user repercussions. In her blog post, she also urged people to be cautious and asked them to delete their Glassdoor profiles.
Glassdoor told Monica that her identity would not be compromised, claiming that neither employers nor third parties would be able to view the specifics. Monica was unwavering in her resolve to remove her account despite these guarantees.
According to TechCrunch, the information on the user’s profile did not completely match in a few cases. For instance, Josh Simmons, whose information was added without consent, told TechCrunch, “It’s not clear to me how they got this information. I didn’t have any social accounts connected to Glassdoor, and I hadn’t used the service in several years.” He also added that his profile had an “incoherent mix of details, but each detail was correct in isolation”. (Also Read: CEO ‘immediately’ approves new employee’s leave, stops him from explaining reason for taking it. Here’s why)
Glassdoor’s spokesperson told Arstechnica, “When a user provides information, either during the sign-up process or by uploading a resume, that information will automatically cross-populate between 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 be fully anonymous or reveal elements of their identity, like company name or job title, while using our community service.”