Soil-dwelling arthropods carry out critical nutrient cycling process in the soil ecosystem. Since the adoption of genetic modified (GM) crops has increased dramatically in recent years, concerns have been raised regarding the potential negative effects of GM crops on this ecosystem. We here review the impacts of transgenic plants on non-target soil organisms, and provide an overview of recent advances in the understanding of responses of non-target soil arthropods, including springtails, mites, beetles and aquatic insects, to various GM crops. We hope this review will provide a useful reference for research on the ecological risks of GM crops to the soil ecosystem.