Samsung Display Provokes Union with Biometric Security Measure

Samsung Display is piloting a facial recognition system aimed at preventing technology leakage, and has ignited a heated debate over privacy concerns in the process.

The trial began on September 2, 2024, and will last for a month. It specifically targets subcontractors, domestic and international business travelers, dispatched workers, and telecommuters. The system captures six images of an employee’s face during the initial connection to the remote access program and continuously monitors the face via webcam during work hours. If the system detects that the employee is not at the monitor or if another person appears, the screen automatically locks.

The introduction of this system is a direct response to past incidents of technology leakage, a significant issue for Samsung Display, particularly given its prominent role in OLED technology. For instance, in December 2023, several high-profile Samsung employees were accused of selling confidential DRAM technology to a Chinese company, causing an estimated $1.8 billion in damages. Another notable incident in 2022 involved Samsung employees accidentally leaking sensitive information via the AI chatbot ChatGPT. These events have heightened the company’s efforts to safeguard its technology, leading to the implementation of stricter security measures, such as this facial recognition system.

However, the labor union has strongly criticized the new measures, labeling them as “excessive” and arguing that they treat employees as “potential criminals.” The union contends that existing measures, such as monitoring computer usage and applying watermarks to accessed files, are sufficient to prevent technology leaks. The union has called for the withdrawal of the webcam monitoring feature, citing concerns over privacy and the intrusive nature of continuous surveillance.

This controversy is not isolated to Samsung Display; other Samsung Group companies, such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDS, and Samsung SDI, have already implemented similar systems. The potential expansion of these measures across more companies within the group has prompted the union to discuss countermeasures, highlighting the ongoing tension between corporate security needs and employee privacy rights.

The debate also takes place against the backdrop of broader labor relations in South Korea, where unions have a history of strong activism and have often clashed with major corporations. As Samsung Display navigates the challenges of protecting its technological assets, it must also address the growing concerns over privacy and surveillance, which could have far-reaching implications for its workforce and labor relations in the country.

Sources: CCN, Business Korea

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September 3, 2024 – by Cass Kennedy