Adverse Media

Adverse media screening checks whether an individual appears in negative press coverage related to financial crime, fraud, corruption, terrorism, or other risk indicators. This provides an additional layer of due diligence beyond PEP and sanctions checks.

What is adverse media?

Adverse media (also called negative news screening) refers to the process of searching public information sources — news articles, court records, regulatory actions, and other publications — for mentions of individuals linked to:

• Financial crime — money laundering, tax evasion, embezzlement, insider trading
• Fraud — identity fraud, insurance fraud, investment fraud
• Corruption — bribery, abuse of public office, kickbacks
• Terrorism and terrorism financing
• Organised crime — drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime
• Regulatory actions — fines, enforcement actions, licence revocations

How screening works

Datakeen searches global media databases and public records using the identity data collected during the journey session. The screening engine:

1. Matches the individual against indexed news articles and public records
2. Categorises the results by risk type (financial crime, fraud, corruption, etc.)
3. Scores each match by relevance — accounting for name similarity, date, and context
4. Presents the results in the Screening AML tab of the session

How to interpret results

In the Screening AML tab, adverse media results appear under the Adverse media category:

• No matches (green) — No adverse media was found for this individual
• Matches found (flagged) — One or more articles or records reference this individual in a negative context

When matches are found, review:

• Headline / title — The article or record that triggered the match
• Source — The publication or database
• Date — When the article was published
• Risk category — What type of risk the article relates to
• Relevance score — How closely the match corresponds to the screened individual

Not all adverse media matches indicate actual risk. Common names may generate false positives. Always review the source material and consider the context before making a decision.

Why adverse media matters

Adverse media screening helps you:

• Detect risks that PEP and sanctions lists alone may miss — someone can be involved in financial crime without appearing on any official list
• Stay ahead of regulatory action — negative press often precedes formal sanctions or enforcement
• Demonstrate due diligence — regulators expect obliged entities to screen beyond official lists

Regulatory context

Adverse media screening is recommended or required under:

• FATF Guidance on Enhanced Due Diligence — adverse media is explicitly mentioned as a source of information for customer due diligence
• EU AMLD5 and AMLD6 — obliged entities must take a risk-based approach that goes beyond sanctions and PEP checks
• EBA Guidelines on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risk Factors — adverse media is listed as a relevant risk factor