OpenSanctions
Type: Open-source sanctions and politically exposed persons (PEP) database
Maintained by: Friedrich Lindenberg (journalist/developer); community contributors
URL: opensanctions.org
License: Creative Commons (bulk data); API with commercial tier
Key Facts
- Aggregates 180+ sanctions lists, wanted persons lists, and PEP registries into a unified, de-duplicated database
- Key sources included: OFAC SDN (US), EU Consolidated Sanctions, UK OFSI, UN Security Council, FATF high-risk jurisdictions, national lists (AU, CA, JP, KR, CH)
- Entity types: individuals, companies, vessels, aircraft, digital wallets
- Machine-readable: YAML, JSON, CSV exports; REST API; FTS search
- Used by: investigative journalists (OCCRP Aleph integration), compliance teams, sanctions researchers, OSINT investigators
OSINT Applications
- Quickest free starting point for sanctions-jurisdiction lookup on named individuals or entities
- Cross-referenced by country: useful for identifying whether a named actor in an investigation appears on any sanctions list
- Vessel and aircraft tracking: listed vessels/aircraft identifiable via cross-reference with AIS/ADS-B data