SanctionsExplorer
A comprehensive database of current and historical OFAC/UN/EU sanctions
URL
https://sanctionsexplorer.org/
Description
Explorer was developed by C4ADS as a "comprehensive source of all current and historical sanctions data across all major sanctioning authorities." Sanctions Explorer is a joint project between non-profits Archer, a former nonprofit based in Berkeley, and C4ADS, an organization focused on data-driven, evidence-based research on global conflict and transnational security.
It includes sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and Japan. Sanctions Explorer persistently monitors the UN, EU, and OFAC websites for updates to the sanctions lists and publishes the new data to the website as it goes active. The home page shows the time of the most recent update of the sanctions database which is updated daily.
Sanctions Explorer derives its data from the following four sources: Historical OFAC Data, Current OFAC Data, EU Data, and UN Data.
The data contains sanctioned individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft. To search for any of these categories, type a keyword in the search bar. The search is designed in such a way to also run "fuzzy" keywords - words that are only a few characters different than the search query. For example, the words 'Hong' and 'Hone' only differ by one letter. Matches are sorted by relevance and get more inexact the further you scroll. Source: SanctionsExporer FAQ.
Example of the results using the search query Defense Engineering. The filters on the left can be used to narrow results by organization, individual, vessel or aircraft. At the top right there is an option to export all the search results into a CSV file.
Clicking on any of the Entity Names will open the profile for that specific entity.
An example of what a profile for an organization looks like. The information includes current and previous names of a company of organizations, the date they were registered or incorporated with the relevant authorities in the country, possible addresses and the sanctions they are subject to.
An example of what a profile for an individual looks like. The information includes the full legal name of an individual including their aliases and variations of their name with different possible spellings, personal data like date and place of birth and the sanctions they are subject to.
An example of what a profile for a vessel looks like. The information includes the name of the vessel, the country responsible for it, its owner. However, information on vessels is quite limited and additional research is encouraged using other platforms such as Marine Traffic.
An example of what a profile for an aircraft looks like. The information includes the manufacture date, the model of the aircraft (this usually includes the name of manufacturer, but not always), the current and sometimes the previous , and the owner of the aircraft. Please note that to search for aircraft in Sanctions Explorer, you can use either the tail number, the name of the aircraft or the manufacturer (Airbus, Sikorsky, LockheedMartin, Bell Helicopter, Embraer, Bombardier to name a few), or the model (Phenom 300, CRJ100, etc.).
Sanctions Explorer also has an Analytics section, where you can see statistics for the number of sanctions added over time, by type of entity (aircraft, vessel, individual, organization), the number of sanctions by authority, as well as an interactive map which shows the number of sanctioned entities year by year.
Cost
Free to use on their website. However, SanctionsExplorer is available on AWS Market Place for corporate use. It appears they offer all of their datasets for the price of USD 9,500 for one full year of usage plus updates to the datasets.
Level of difficulty
Requirements
Internet connection
Limitations
Our research shows that this resource only provides information on sanctioned entities. It does not provide information on politically exposed persons (PEPs).
SanctionsExplorer does not have an API integration feature, so downloading data in bulk might be more difficult.
Ethical Considerations
Profiles of individuals often features their date of birth, full legal name and place of birth. These are considered Personally Identifying Information (PII) and while the data from SanctionsExplorer is publicly available, this information should be used with caution and redacted for privacy if needed.
Guides and articles
C4ADS: Sanctions Explorer: How We Built It
C4ADS: Sanctions Explorer: a C4ADS Data Tool
Tool provider
Center for Advanced Defense Studies - C4ADS. A 501 nonprofit research organization in Washington, D.C.
Advertising Trackers
LPetrova
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