Samsung Electronics is tightening controls over employee communications as South Korea steps up efforts to hold platforms and users accountable for defamatory and manipulated information—a shift that could add pressure on large companies to strengthen internal monitoring and reshape how employees communicate online.
The world’s biggest memory-chip maker will require employees to use their real names on NOW Talk, its flagship internal online community, starting at midnight on August 18. For U.S. companies and investors watching South Korea’s evolving technology and workplace regulations, the move offers a glimpse of how tighter rules on online content could increasingly extend into corporate communications.
NOW Talk is used by Samsung employees to share company news, policies and workplace issues. Under the new system, the names of authors will be visible on both posts and comments
The change follows amendments to South Korea’s Information and Communications Network Act that took effect July 7. The revised law strengthens provisions covering violations of personal rights and the distribution of false or manipulated information, while establishing potential liability for damages resulting from such content.
Samsung said anonymity had contributed to repeated incidents involving personal attacks, abusive language and the circulation of unverified claims, undermining the company’s internal communications culture.
The company said rights violations on NOW Talk had intensified, citing verbal abuse and personal attacks on its internal bulletin boards. Samsung also said it recently received guidance from South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor related to improvements in workplace-harassment practices.
“We are changing the way NOW Talk operates to protect employees from defamation and violations of personal rights and to establish a culture of communication based on mutual respect,” Samsung said.
The policy won’t be applied retroactively. Posts written before the transition will remain under their existing status rather than being converted to real-name posts. Employees will continue to access and contribute to the platform through the “NOW” section.
Samsung said it will continue monitoring NOW Talk for unlawful content, false or manipulated information and violations of its operating rules.
For investors, the move underscores a broader tension facing large technology companies: stricter regulation can reduce legal and reputational risks but may also require companies to devote more resources to content oversight and employee-management systems.
Samsung said it could make further operational changes if behavior that undermines healthy internal communications continues.
