AML & sanctions compliance notice
Last updated: November 2026
What the service is — and is not
AFC Entity Radar is an information tool that supports customer due diligence (CDD), know-your-customer (KYC), sanctions and politically-exposed-person (PEP) screening and adverse-media research. It does not perform customer due diligence on your behalf, does not make decisions and is not legal advice. Obliged entities remain fully responsible for their own risk assessment, verification of identity, ongoing monitoring, record keeping and reporting.
Relevant rules (non-exhaustive)
- EU anti-money-laundering framework: Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (AMLR, applies from 10 July 2027), Directive (EU) 2024/1640 (AMLD6), Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 (AMLA); until then Directive (EU) 2015/849 as transposed nationally — in Germany the Geldwäschegesetz (GwG).
- EU restrictive measures (sanctions): e.g. Council Regulations (EU) No 269/2014 and 833/2014, (EC) No 881/2002 and 2580/2001 — the prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to listed persons applies directly; the official source is the EU Financial Sanctions Files and the EU Sanctions Map.
- United Kingdom: Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 and the UK Sanctions List (FCDO / OFSI). United States: OFAC regulations (31 CFR Chapter V) and the SDN and Consolidated lists. United Nations: Security Council Consolidated List.
- FATF Recommendations 6 and 7 (targeted financial sanctions), 10 (customer due diligence) and 12 (politically exposed persons).
- High-risk third countries: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675 as amended, and the FATF lists “High-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action” and “Jurisdictions under increased monitoring”.
How to use results correctly
- Every result is a potential match. Confirm identity with date of birth, nationality, address or official identifiers before you act. A list match score of 92% or more is shown as a potential match; 84–92% as “to review”.
- Lists are refreshed from OpenSanctions every six hours and can lag official publications. For a blocking decision, check the official list of the competent authority.
- PEP status follows the definitions of Art. 3 (9)–(11) Directive (EU) 2015/849 and the corresponding definitions of the AMLR; local office holders (e.g. mayors) are treated as PEPs by default and can be switched off by the operator.
- Court records, the Epstein court files and adverse media are public sources. Being named in a document is not evidence of wrongdoing; the presumption of innocence applies.
- No automated individual decisions: results must be reviewed by a person; do not use them as the sole basis for a decision with legal or similarly significant effect (Art. 22 GDPR).
- Keep your own records of checks and decisions — export results as CSV / Excel / JSON. EU AML rules generally require records to be kept for five years.
Your data-protection duties when you screen people
When you screen your customers you are the controller for that screening. You need a legal basis (typically a legal obligation, Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR, under AML law) and, where information on criminal offences is processed, an authorisation under Union or member-state law (Art. 10 GDPR). Do not use the service for purposes other than AML/CTF, sanctions compliance, fraud prevention, due diligence, research or journalism. Business customers can conclude a data processing agreement.
Suspicious activity
The service does not file reports. Suspicious transactions must be reported by the obliged entity to its financial intelligence unit (in Germany: FIU, via goAML).