Glassdoor has long been a relatively safe space for workers looking to anonymously share feedback on their employers, former and current, without fear of repercussions. After a recent policy change, however, workers may not feel as comfortable airing their grievances on the platform going forward—and users are raising the alarm across online forums and social media.

For years, Glassdoor has only required users to share an email address to create an account. But users are finding that the platform now asks for full names to verify profiles—and in some cases, Glassdoor is reportedly adding names to accounts without clear consent from users, according to reports in Ars Technica and Wired this week. In a blog post that has circulated widely, a Glassdoor user who goes by Monica claimed that after she responded to a recent support email, the company added her name to her account; when she asked to have her name removed, Monica was told that she would have to delete her Glassdoor account.

Changes date back to 2021

This shift in policy at Glassdoor seems to be an aftereffect of the company acquiring a social network called Fishbowl back in 2021. In the process of integrating Fishbowl features into its platform, Glassdoor appears to have changed its own terms of service accordingly. “We use your real name and email address for verification purposes only, to make sure everyone is who they say they are,” reads a company help page. Last year, Glassdoor unveiled a major redesign and introduced a series of new features, with the intent of fostering more engagement between users and expanding its purview beyond job listings and company reviews. The move also signaled a departure from Glassdoor’s reputation for near-total anonymity, since people now have the option of self-identifying in conversations with fellow users.

Perception vs. Reality

Glassdoor maintains that names will not be disclosed when users post reviews to the platform. In a statement, a company spokesperson said, “Glassdoor is committed to providing a platform for people to share their opinions and experiences about their jobs and companies, anonymously—without fear of intimidation or retaliation. User reviews on Glassdoor have always and will always be anonymous. In the Glassdoor community, users always have the choice to post with their name or post anonymously with their company name or job title. Glassdoor has never and will never reveal a user’s name alongside their content, unless that is what the user chooses.”

But this distinction might be beside the point. If the 55 million users who visit Glassdoor each month no longer perceive it as entirely confidential, they might be less inclined to share honest reviews on the platform—or to use it at all, especially when there are other platforms like Blind that ensure more anonymity. Even if Glassdoor has no intention of revealing user identities, its decision to collect this data raises privacy concerns and questions around the company’s legal liability. The company has previously been the target of legal claims from employers that have sought to undermine its anonymity, arguing that workers who posted on Glassdoor had violated confidentiality agreements. A few years ago, the crypto exchange Kraken brought a subpoena against Glassdoor, in an attempt to get identifying information on former employees who had posted negative reviews. (The subpoena was eventually withdrawn.)

Glassdoor has historically defended users against these sorts of attacks, citing the first amendment; in fact, the company even makes a point of highlighting its success resisting legal efforts to expose users. While it’s always been true that Glassdoor cannot guarantee anonymity—especially when employees at smaller companies post on the platform—a policy requiring real names could potentially open the company up to more lawsuits and legal challenges. (Glassdoor did not comment specifically on whether this policy would impact how the company responds to legal action.)

It seems that Glassdoor’s new focus on building community may not be entirely compatible with its mission of enabling transparency and empowering workers to share candid reviews. And as evidenced by the online chatter from people trying to delete their accounts, users already appear to be losing trust in the platform.