Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. — Ethics Grade D

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. receives an overall ethics grade of D (35/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Technology. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 30
• privacy: 60
• consumer: 50
• environment: 40
• humanRights: 35

Documented incidents (3)

• Bribery Conviction of Chairman (high, 2021) — Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was sentenced to prison for bribery and embezzlement involving South Korea's former president. The scandal highlighted deep-seated corruption between major conglomerates (chaebols) and the government.
• Hazardous Workplace Health Issues (high, 2022) — Dozens of workers at Samsung semiconductor and LCD factories in South Korea developed leukemia and other cancers due to chemical exposure. Samsung faced years of litigation before issuing a formal apology and compensation fund.
• Carbon Footprint of Chips (medium, 2023) — Samsung's semiconductor division remains extremely carbon-intensive. Greenpeace criticized the company for lagging behind competitors in transitioning its global supply chain and manufacturing to 100% renewable energy.

Documented good deeds

• Recycled Material Usage — Samsung increased the use of recycled plastics from discarded fishing nets in its Galaxy S24 series and expanded its 'Galaxy Upcycling' program to repurpose old phones.

Ethical alternatives

• Fairphone — Modular phones designed for repairability with fair-trade gold and conflict-free minerals.