Presentation given by Chris Taggart of OpenCorporates at the Open Knowledge Festival, September 2012, on the importance of open data and corporate transparency in the fight against corruption, fraud, money laundering and organised crime
13. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
14. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
15. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
Growing in opacity – use of secrecy jurisdictions and
off-register entities to provide firewalls to tax, regulation,
information
16. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
Growing in opacity – use of secrecy jurisdictions and
off-register entities to provide firewalls to tax, regulation,
information
Growing in complexity – not a hierarchy but a complex,
sometimes even circular network of entities
17. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
18. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
19. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
Growing in opacity – use of secrecy jurisdictions and
off-register entities to provide firewalls to tax, regulation,
information
20. And they are more complex
by the day
Growing in scale – not 10s of legal entities but 1000s
Growing in speed – we are seeing the beginnings of
high-frequency company formation
Growing in opacity – use of secrecy jurisdictions and
off-register entities to provide firewalls to tax, regulation,
information
Growing in complexity – not a hierarchy but a complex,
sometimes even circular network of entities
21. guys...
Which is great for the bad
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentsl/3543888150
35. Complexity is good (if you
want to avoid detection)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescridland/613445810
It’s easy for the bad guys
to get lost in the crowd
36. “While bad behaviour does
follow the shadows, there’s
a huge difference between
huddling in corners and
having a riot in the darkened
streets” – John Wonderlich, Sunlight Foundation
37. A concrete example
AsiaUniversalBank –
Kyrgystan’s largest bank
Not just a small bank in
a far off country
Fully connected to the
world’s financial system
3 US senators on the
board
38. A concrete example
Leaks & accusations of
insolvency & money-
laundering, following a
revolution
A superb investigation
by Global Witness led to
companies in New
Zealand, UK, etc...
Companies with
shareholders who had
been dead even before
the formation
39. The lesson (for criminals)
Absent of...
...a revolution
...leaks
...a long-running
investigation by a
well-resourced NGO
you’re safe!
40. We’re looking for needles in
a haystack, and need open
data to reduce the problem
to manageable proportions
41. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
42. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
NGOs? Don’t get data
43. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
NGOs? Don’t get data
Government? Limited by jurisdiction and mindset
44. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
NGOs? Don’t get data
Government? Limited by jurisdiction and mindset
Data journalists? Not enough of them and don’t
understand the subject
45. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
NGOs? Don’t get data
Government? Limited by jurisdiction and mindset
Data journalists? Not enough of them and don’t
understand the subject
Citizens/good business? Don’t have the tools/
resources
46. This is where the watchdogs
(are supposed to) come in?
NGOs? Don’t get data
Government? Limited by jurisdiction and mindset
Data journalists? Not enough of them and don’t
understand the subject
Citizens/good business? Don’t have the tools/
resources
And all have a problem getting the
data (especially in a usable form)
57. 4 key measures
Basic search: can you search the company register
freely, without charge and without registration
Licence: Is there a licence that allows open reuse of
the information
Data: Is the information available as open data as a
data dump or an API
Depth: Is there sufficient information to get a true
picture of the company and those who control it –
directors, significant shareholdings, and statutory filings
61. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
62. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
URI is based on the company register
ID, meaning it’s open and IP-free
63. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
URI is based on the company register
ID, meaning it’s open and IP-free
64. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
URI is based on the company register
ID, meaning it’s open and IP-free
65. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
URI is based on the company register
ID, meaning it’s open and IP-free
66. A simple (huge) goal: an entry (and URI) for
every corporate legal entity in the world
URI is based on the company register
ID, meaning it’s open and IP-free
Also i
trade mpor
marks ting p
officia , gove ublic data
l regis rnme
ters & nt spe –
gazet nding
te not ,
ices..
.
67.
68.
69.
70. All Op
enly L
free re icens
use, e ed, al
ven c lowin
omm g
ercial
ly
73. 1. An open identifying system
URIs can be used as common identifiers among a
variety of organisations
74. 1. An open identifying system
URIs can be used as common identifiers among a
variety of organisations
Can be used without reference to OpenCorporates
75. 1. An open identifying system
URIs can be used as common identifiers among a
variety of organisations
Can be used without reference to OpenCorporates
Because they map to the id issued by the company
register the corresponding entry in the registry (and
associated info) can be found, and vice versa
76. 1. An open identifying system
URIs can be used as common identifiers among a
variety of organisations
Can be used without reference to OpenCorporates
Because they map to the id issued by the company
register the corresponding entry in the registry (and
associated info) can be found, and vice versa
Fits the new EU Business Vocabulary
77. 1. An open identifying system
URIs can be used as common identifiers among a
variety of organisations
Can be used without reference to OpenCorporates
Because they map to the id issued by the company
register the corresponding entry in the registry (and
associated info) can be found, and vice versa
Fits the new EU Business Vocabulary
Can even by used for companies in jurisdiction we
haven’t yet imported
81. 2. The simple search
Not to be underestimated
Massively reduces friction
(how long will it take you
to find and search
multiple jurisdictions)
82. 2. The simple search
Not to be underestimated
Massively reduces friction
(how long will it take you
to find and search
multiple jurisdictions)
83. 2. The simple search
Not to be underestimated
Massively reduces friction
(how long will it take you
to find and search
multiple jurisdictions)
Allows what if questions
84. 2. The simple search
Not to be underestimated
Massively reduces friction
(how long will it take you
to find and search
multiple jurisdictions)
Allows what if questions
Potentially generates
stories in its own right
85. 2. The simple search
Not to be underestimated
Massively reduces friction
(how long will it take you
to find and search
multiple jurisdictions)
Allows what if questions
Potentially generates
stories in its own right
87. 3. Source for additional info
Addresses, filings,
status, websites...
88. 3. Source for additional info
Addresses, filings,
status, websites...
89. 3. Source for additional info
Addresses, filings,
status, websites...
Intl trademarks, UK
govt spending, official
notices, health & safety
violations...
90. 3. Source for additional info
Addresses, filings,
status, websites...
Intl trademarks, UK
govt spending, official
notices, health & safety
violations...
91. 3. Source for additional info
Addresses, filings,
status, websites...
Intl trademarks, UK
govt spending, official
notices, health & safety
violations...
Other IDs: SEC, CAGE,
etc – allows reverse
mapping queries, e.g.
show me legal entitity
mapped to a CIK code
92. 4. Reconciliation
(matching names to legal entities)
Clean up messy
company names
(& prev names)
to legal entity,
and from there
to other data
Google Refine
reconciliation
service (specific
to jurisdiction)
94. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
95. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
96. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
Users can now
add data too
97. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
Users can now
add data too
98. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
Users can now
add data too
99. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
Users can now
add data too
Coming soon: the
option to match
data to
companies
100. 5. The platform
API: allows all
information to be
retrieved as data,
even searches
Users can now
add data too
Coming soon: the
option to match
data to
companies
101. New feature: directors/officers
We’ve just
started
importing &
indexing
company
directors &
officers,
allowing search
by name, &
finding links
between them
and other
companies
102. New feature: directors/officers
We’ve just
started
importing &
indexing
company
directors &
officers,
allowing search
by name, &
finding links
between them
and other
companies
103. New feature: directors/officers
We’ve just
started
importing &
indexing
company
directors &
officers,
allowing search
by name, &
finding links
between them
and other similarly named
companies
104. New feature: directors/officers
We’ve just
started
importing &
indexing
company
directors &
officers,
allowing search
by name, &
other resources
finding links
between them
and other similarly named
companies
105. New feature: shareholdings
First stage in
mapping out
corporate
‘hierarchies’
A highly
complex
subject and one
not well
understood
even by many
regulators
106. New feature: shareholdings
First stage in
mapping out
corporate
‘hierarchies’
A highly
complex
subject and one
not well
understood shareholders
even by many
regulators
107.
108. tions
isdic tes
0 jur
nies in 5 26 US sta
compa clud ing
5million In
wov er 4
No