US recycling report card

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Recycling Report Card evaluates takeback and recycling programs for computer, TV, printer and game console companies. The report card focuses on the programs available to consumers in the US, and relies on publicly available information, as of Sept 2010. This company received a grade of D for its recycling efforts in the USA.

Source: Electronics TakeBack Coalition (2010)

D+ in Guide to Greener Electronics

This company received a grade of D+ in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (Oct 2017), which assesses companies from the electronics industry across three impact areas: energy use, resource consumption, and chemical elimination. Of the 17 companies ranked, this company came ninth. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Greenpeace (2017)

Fined for data breach

This company was fined STG250,000 (AU$378,000) by Britain's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a data breach that compromised the personal information of millions of customers using PlayStation video games consoles. The ICO fined Sony after it found the cyber attack in April 2011 could have been prevented if Sony's software had been up to date.

Source: The Australian (2013)

Chemical poisoning of workers

The Poisonous Pearl is a 2016 report by Good Electronics which focuses on the experiences of (former) workers in the electronics industry in China who are victims of chemical poisoning. The health of all the workers in the report was damaged by exposure to hazardous chemicals such as benzene and n-hexane. All were working in large or small factories in the Pearl River Delta-region of China, an area well known as being a global hub for the production of consumer electronics (ICT). This company is supplied by factories in the region.

Source: SOMO (2016)

Child labour in gold mining

This 2016 scorecard by SOMO compares electronics companies on their policies and efforts regarding responsible mining and the elimination of child labour, with special attention to the mining of gold. This company is above industry standard on only 2 out of 7 criteria.

Source: Stop Child Labour (2016)

Cobalt battery supply chain

A 2017 report by Amnesty International, 'Time to Recharge' ranks major electronics and car companies on how much they have improved their cobalt sourcing practices since January 2016. The report found that while a handful of companies have made progress, many are still not doing enough to stop human rights abuses entering their cobalt supply chains, even though their products could be linked to child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This company was rated 'minimal action taken'. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Amnesty Intl (2017)

Conflict Minerals Ranking

In November 2017 the Enough Project published Demand the Supply, which ranked consumer electronics and jewelry retail companies on their efforts to develop conflict-free minerals supply chains from Congo. Companies were ranked on reporting; sourcing conflict-free minerals from Congo; supporting the artisanal mining communities in Eastern Congo; and conflict-free minerals advocacy. This company received a score of 33.5/120. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Enough Project (2017)

Price fixing in Taiwan

Taiwan's Fair Trade Commissioner has given fines totalling US$1.8m to four electronics makers, including Sony Optiarc, for fixing prices of optical disc drives. The companies exchanged information through email, telephone and meetings regarding quotations and information provided during open-bid competition for optical disc drives held by computer makers Dell and Hewlett-Packard from 2004 to 2009. Sony Optiarc received a fine of US$170,000.

Source: Want China Times (2012)

Most controversial companies of 2015

This company appeared seventh on RepRisk's top ten "Most Controversial Companies of 2015". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2015 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. Criticisms of Sony include human rights abuses and corporate complicity, anti-comptetitive practices, corruption, discrimination and OHS issues. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: RepRisk (2015)

39.1% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 39.1/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.

Source: Newsweek (2017)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target; commit to 100% renewable power.

Source: We Mean Business (2021)

Responsible Business Alliance member

This company is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition), a non-profit coalition of electronics companies which supports the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.

Source: RBA (2022)

Responsible Minerals Initiative member

This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.

Source: RMI (2019)

CSR claims

This company has Corporate Social Responsibility claims on its website including the areas of ethics and compliance, respect for human rights, environment and responsible supply chain.

Source: company website (2020)

Repairability of devices

Engineers from ifixit.com disassembled and analysed a range of smartphones, tablets and laptops, awarding each a repairability score between one and ten. Ten is the easiest to repair. A device with a perfect score will be relatively inexpensive to repair because it is easy to disassemble and has a service manual available. Points are docked based on the difficulty of opening the device, the types of fasteners found inside, and the complexity involved in replacing major components. Points are awarded for upgradability, use of non-proprietary tools for servicing, and component modularity. Products released by this company between 2016 and 2017 scored 5 points.

Source: iFixit (2020)

Military involvement in Gaza

Press TV claims that evidence found from the war in Gaza in July 2014 showed that Sony provided Israel with cameras and high-tech control boards to equip its missiles.

Source: Press TV (2014)

Modern Slavery statement

California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.

Source: company website (2018)

C grade at Behind the Barcode

C grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2016)

9/20 in Social Benchmark

The 2024 Social Benchmark assesses the world's 2,000 most influential companies on their responsibility in meeting society's fundamental expectations towards three measurement areas: respecting human rights, providing decent work, and acting ethically. This company was assessed in 2023 and received a score of 9/20. The average score was an alarmingly low 4.6/20 and the highest score was 15.5/20.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2024)

41/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 41/100 in the Leisure Equipment & Products and Consumer Electronics category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 18 Nov 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.

Source: S&P Global (2022)

42.8% in Digital Inclusion Benchmark

The 2023 Digital Inclusion Benchmark ranks 200 companies on their responsibility to advance a more inclusive digital society. The companies were assessed using four measurement areas: access, skills, use and innovation. This company ranked #55/200, with a total score of 42.8/100.

Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)