OpenSanctions in Prague. Let us know if you have a suggestion for an easily accessible European destination for our next team meet-up!
In 2025, we added almost 50 new data sources to feed into our data collection and also improved the quality of several areas of our dataset, including:
- The overhauling of our Russian companies dataset (or rather, how to grapple with registry amnesia)
- Expanding our vessel data by including several detention lists and port control data sources
- Improving our coverage of parliamentarians worldwide by enriching their profiles from various parliaments’ websites (work that will continue in 2026)
Launching logic-v2 and a new review tool
A big milestone for us was the release of the next version of the screening name-matching algorithm that underpins our API screening service. After months of development work and preparation, we released logic-v2 this fall. A big thanks to everyone who has helped with feedback both in the run-up to and since its launch!
We also launched a new internal moderation tool to improve how we review and compare duplicate names. This review tool paved the way for the second big step this year: the launch of our enforcements collection. Extracting entities from unstructured text in a consistent and reliable manner is no simple task, and the review tool helped us implement the much-needed human-in-the-loop bit. (And, in slight contrast to the industry’s AI craze, see here for our musings on all of the things that can go wrong when AI is left to its own devices when extracting text). Carefully considering these quality controls is really important to us, as our data is built into sanctions screening tools that can have a substantial impact on those concerned — one small error could have catastrophic consequences.
New partnerships and continued support for journalists
In 2025, we further enhanced the relevance of our data collection by winning new partners and deepening our relationships with existing ones. To name but a few: many thanks to our friends and colleagues at Quantifind, Neterium, Quantexa and Taktile.
We’ve also continued to support media in investigating global financial crime and cases of potential sanctions evasion. In September, our data helped inform a Washington Post investigation into how India’s richest businessman is trading Russian oil.
As always, we’ve not only had a chance to build relationships with data users, but also a broader public — including some of the companies and people designated on international sanctions lists. Sometimes we see threats, but often these conversations are more like a form of grief counselling. Having this independent (and dare we say it: at times adversarial) QA department has proven a way to make a more precise, more explainable, and more reliable data product.
What’s next?
We’re only just getting started on integrating enforcement list sources into our structured data. We’re also planning to revive a dormant global civil tech project that collects data on politicians from around the world, which will help us to explore new methods to expand our global PEP coverage.
And a bit deeper in the engine room, we’ve done significant work in 2025 to fundamentally change the way we capture PEPs in our data pipeline – this is not fully developed yet, but will become more visible in 2026. Having said that, we’re unlikely to expand our data into all possible directions, but rather do more of what we’re good at: maintaining and improving data quality.
More to come in 2026!
As always, if you have any suggestions or questions, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch here.
