Open Data
Ensuring public access to information
Open Data
Technology has the power to change the way we understand our world. And this is no different for illicit financial flows.
While more and more data is making its way to the public (due to increased financial transparency requirements), it’s important that standards are in place to make data analysis as streamlined and uniform as possible. If information is published in open data formats, the information can be sorted, analyzed, and manipulated so that legislators, journalists and citizens can have a better understanding of the world around them. Whether that’s understanding how much in taxes a multinational corporation is paying on a country-level basis, finding the web of owners of a corporate structure, or seeing where your tax dollars are being spent in the budgeting process, open data vital to our work. If implemented correctly, open data standards can help embolden citizens to becoming more engaged in the public debate.
Read our 2016 working paper and policy brief on open data and illicit financial flows here. You can also read about the Open Data for Tax Justice Initiative, of which the FTC is a member, here.