Three record types
- Confirmed: a formal regulator or court finding, settlement, consent order, official audit or equivalent primary record.
- Reported: an allegation, investigation, active case or documented incident supported by credible reporting, but not a final finding.
- Context: expert analysis, a policy concern or advocacy material. Context is never included in violation counts or penalty totals.
Sources
Confirmed records must link to at least one primary source. We prefer decisions, orders, regulator case files and official reports. Secondary reporting may clarify context but cannot, by itself, support a confirmed classification.
- Primary: the decision-maker, court, regulator, official audit body or company filing.
- Secondary: independent reporting that describes the matter.
- Context: research or advocacy that helps explain an issue without establishing a violation.
Counting and money
Each enforcement action is counted once, even when it covers several legal provisions or products. Only confirmed records are counted. Penalties remain in their original currency; we do not use exchange rates to create a misleading combined figure.
Refunds, remediation funds and annulled penalties are described in the outcome but excluded from penalty totals unless the source characterises them as a current monetary penalty.
Bilingual review
English and Dutch records are edited together. Both versions must express the same legal status, dates, amounts and limitations. Translation is an editorial task, not a claim that the underlying authority published in both languages.
Review and corrections
Every record displays its last review date. Material corrections are noted on the record and on the corrections page. Adding a link or improving phrasing without changing meaning may be made silently.