Survey Reveals About 60% of Office Workers Screenshot Friends' SNS Posts, Highlighting Leak Risks from Overconfidence in 'Private' Circles

Elplanning Co., Ltd., a provider of corporate SNS risk management and literacy education, conducted an "SNS Risk Awareness Survey" targeting 601 office workers in their 20s and 30s across Japan.

In recent years, there has been a continuous stream of incidents where careless personal social media posts are spread externally via screenshots, leading to public backlash and information leaks that damage corporate trust. A significant trigger for these troubles is overconfidence in supposedly "closed spaces" like private accounts or posts limited to close friends, which users assume are safe.

This survey delved into the attitudes of business professionals toward these closed SNS spaces and their behaviors that risk information dissemination.

### Key Survey Findings

- **Normalization of Spreading and Monitoring via Screenshots**: About 60% (57.6%) of office workers have experience screenshotting a friend's SNS post. Of those, about 40% did so to "forward to a third party," and about 10% saved it as "evidence of inappropriate content." - **Overconfidence in Private Accounts is Pronounced**: The rate of posting content like photos of employee IDs or complaints about the company was higher on private accounts than on public ones, confirming the risk of information leakage from these closed spaces. - **Internal Perception Gaps and Needed Countermeasures**: While about 80% recognize that public backlash damages a company, nearly one in five underestimate the impact as "limited," showing a disparity among employees. As an effective measure to prevent SNS troubles, about half of the respondents called for companies to establish clear guidelines.

### Detailed Results

**1. About 60% Screenshot Others' Posts; Over 97% for "BeReal" Users**

When asked if they had ever screenshotted a friend's SNS post, 57.6% answered "yes." Notably, this figure jumped to 97.6% among users of the SNS platform "BeReal."

When asked about their purpose, 44.2% of those with screenshot experience cited "to forward/share with other friends or in group chats." Furthermore, about 10% (9.8%) stated it was "to keep as evidence because the content seemed inappropriate." This trend was even more pronounced among BeReal users.

This shows that even posts with limited visibility are at constant risk of being shared, saved as evidence, and spread semi-permanently.

**2. Private Accounts Are a Hotbed for Information Leaks**

Regarding work-related SNS posts, 30.8% of all respondents said they had "posted something themselves." However, the percentage who had "seen it in a friend's post" was higher at 34.9%.

Furthermore, when looking at the type of account used for posting, "private accounts" (26.6%) surpassed "public accounts" (20.8%). Specifically, posts featuring "employee IDs or company-logoed equipment" and "complaints about specific individuals at the company" were more frequent on private accounts, confirming that the misplaced belief of "it's safe because only trusted people see it" increases risk.

**3. Triggered by a Need for Approval**

Among those who feel the urge to "show off or be recognized" for significant work achievements, 32.4% admitted to "posting on a private account." The data supports the typical mechanism of recent SNS controversies: a combination of "overconfidence in private accounts" and a "need for approval" leads to information leaks.

**4. Gaps in Perception of Corporate Damage**

When asked about the impact of a colleague's public backlash on the company, about 80% (81.4%) feared serious damage like brand image decline. However, 18.6% believed "it's a personal problem, so the overall impact on the company is limited," indicating a persistent lack of personal responsibility among a segment of employees.

**5. The Need for "Clear Guidelines," Not an Outright Ban**

As a measure to prevent SNS controversies, about half of the respondents (49.9%) requested the "establishment of guidelines that clarify 'what is acceptable.'" Companies are urged to continuously raise employee awareness not just through formal notices, but by providing concrete, practical guidelines and regular training.

### Conclusion

This survey revealed that overconfidence in closed SNS spaces leads to careless posting, amplifying risks that companies cannot fully grasp. Given that the survey relies on self-reporting, it is presumed that the actual extent of risky behavior far exceeds these figures.