A recent online post revealed a suspected internal Tencent notice stating that a project leader from the WeChat Business Group (WXG) was terminated for privately sharing a screenshot of their personal annual compensation details, leaking sensitive internal information like the company's salary and incentive structure. The individual has also been added to the group's permanent blacklist, barring them from future re-employment.
This incident quickly became a top trending topic on social media, with related discussions garnering over 27 million views. The controversy started when a screenshot of an annual bonus statement spread widely online, showing total compensation consisting of cash and stock awards amounting to approximately 3.17 million yuan. The breakdown revealed roughly 820,000 yuan in cash and about 2.3559 million yuan in stock rewards.
Netizens soon noticed that the screenshot contained Tencent's internal watermark, sparking concerns over a salary data leak. As the situation escalated, the employee's internal meeting schedule was reportedly cleared. According to sources, the individual had received Tencent's highest performance rating of "Outstanding" twice in 2025, which was a key factor in securing such a substantial bonus.
Tencent's performance evaluation system includes three tiers: Outstanding, Good, and Underperform. The Outstanding rating, which corresponds to the previous 4-5 star level, is strictly limited to the top 10% to 20% of high-performing employees within a team. Those who achieve this rating typically receive an annual bonus equivalent to six months' salary or more.
Based on a leaked internal email, the employee reportedly sent company-sensitive information to external parties during their tenure, leading to the data's exposure on outside platforms and causing significant negative consequences for the company. Tencent classifies such salary details as high-level confidential internal information, strictly prohibiting any form of screenshotting, forwarding, or external sharing.
The notice stated that the employee's actions violated the third clause of "Tencent's Red Lines," which covers "information security violations and leakage of confidential information." This clause includes behaviors like disclosing or inquiring about salary information, as well as intentional or improper actions that lead to the leak of sensitive internal data, such as incorrect configuration or uploading to external shared spaces. As a result, the employee has been dismissed, placed on the blacklist, and will never be rehired. Additional penalties under the "Management Cadre Disciplinary Punishment Measures" will be announced separately.
When contacted for comment, Tencent did not immediately respond to inquiries. Lawyer Li Jian from Beijing Jingshi (Tianjin) Law Firm explained that employees often mistakenly believe only "technical data" or "client lists" qualify as secrets. In reality, internal information that a company restricts from public disclosure, takes measures to protect, and holds managerial value—such as salary policies, performance data, and internal incentives—can also be classified as confidential sensitive information. Employees cannot justify external dissemination by simply arguing that "salary is personal income."
Under Article 90 of the Labor Contract Law, employees who violate confidentiality obligations and cause losses to their employer must bear compensation responsibilities. If the leaked information constitutes a trade secret under the law, severe cases could violate the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and even involve criminal charges for infringing on trade secrets.
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