Sony has responded to allegations of labour rights abuse at a Malaysian supplier by reaffirming its commitment to human rights, enforcing its Supply Chain Code of Conduct, conducting regular audits, and promising corrective actions including termination of business with violators.

An OpenSecrets profile on Sony Corp highlights that 13 out of 20 lobbyists in 2023 and 10 out of 16 in 2024 had previously held government positions. This revolving door phenomenon underscores potential undue corporate influence on political systems, raising concerns from a democratic accountability perspective.

On December 13, 2024, Sony, which is linked to the PlayStation brand, released a statement outlining their investigations into alleged human rights violations at one of their Malaysian suppliers. Following audits that confirmed breaches of the Sony Supply Chain Code of Conduct, including issues related to exploitative labor practices, the company demanded corrective measures such as appropriate worker payment, proper working hours, and improved living conditions. With insufficient progress reported and deteriorating business conditions at the supplier, Sony decided to discontinue its relationship and collaborate with industry organizations to support the affected migrant workers.

Sony, the parent company behind PlayStation, disclosed findings from an on-site audit at a Malaysian supplier, revealing probable labor rights abuses involving Bangladeshi workers. The company has requested corrective measures including improved worker payment, proper management of working hours, and better dormitory conditions as part of its Sony Supply Chain Code of Conduct.

Sony Group Corporation’s on-site audit of its Malaysian contractor, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, revealed probable violations of its supply chain code of conduct, including alleged forced labour practices such as non-payment of wages and passport retention. The company has requested corrective measures and pledged to monitor improvements.

U.S. politicians criticized Sony Interactive Entertainment for its response to rising extremism in PlayStation multiplayer games, arguing that the company’s measures, including basic content filtering and human moderation, are inadequate to combat hate, harassment, and extremism online.

Several Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to leading video game publishers, including Sony Interactive Entertainment (the parent of PlayStation), requesting details on how they handle extremist content and harassment in online gaming platforms. The inquiry comes in response to rising concerns over extremist behavior online and calls for greater transparency in moderation practices.

Sony Interactive Entertainment, operating under the PlayStation brand, initiated its lobbying efforts in Q4 2022 by spending $60,000, followed by an additional $240,000 in the first half of 2023. The lobbying was aimed at influencing Congress, the Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Trade Representative in support of antitrust law enforcement amid mounting concerns about industry competition.