GoPro
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 4 sources
US company designing action cameras, mounts and accessories.
There's no proof GoPro pays more than the legal minimum, which in China and Thailand is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and untraced high-risk mined materials. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in China, Thailand and Malaysia, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
GoPro says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Modern slavery statement
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes GoPro outsources most manufacturing to unnamed contract manufacturers in China, Thailand and Vietnam, and makes some cameras in Thailand and Malaysia, with no country shares. Its supplier code draws on the RBA code and allows announced or unannounced audits, but it is not an RBA member and publishes no audit results, supplier list or living wage commitment. Its annual report says it cannot confirm suppliers always follow labour laws. In September 2026 it agreed to be bought by Starman Optical, part of Starman Holding, with the deal expected to close by the end of 2026.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Graded D- in Baptist World Aid's 2016 Electronics Industry report for efforts against forced labour, child labour and exploitation. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Good Shopping Guide cites a China Labor Watch report finding deception, excessive hours, wage theft, sexual harassment and bullying in factories supplying GoPro (China Labor Watch, 2023). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- GoPro Inc (Good Shopping Guide) · search the archive · Cites China Labor Watch 2023 report and Baptist World Aid 2016 D- grade
- GoPro, Inc. Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · Most manufacturing by contract makers in China, Thailand and Vietnam; some in Thailand and Malaysia; 636 employees
- GoPro to be acquired by Starman Optical (SEC Form 8-K exhibit, 2026) · search the archive · Announced 1 September 2026: Starman Optical, a Starman Holding company, to acquire GoPro; expected to close by year-end 2026
Published by GoPro or its owner
- GoPro Supplier Code of Conduct and supply chain disclosure · search the archive · Code based on RBA principles; announced or unannounced audits by GoPro or third parties; updated 2024
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 636
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is GoPro ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/gopro, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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