Risk Watcher Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 11 August 2026

Risk Watcher (“Risk Watcher”, “us”, “our” and/or “we”) aims to onboard global commercial ventures while adhering to all applicable legal and regulatory frameworks for providing safe and secure online verification services. This privacy policy (the “Policy”) outlines how Risk Watcher collects, controls and processes personal data relating to users in relation to providing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance solutions while offering services like watchlist screening, adverse media screening, Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) screening, sanctions screening, corruption monitoring, and international leaks database access. These services are designed to assist with customer onboarding, sanctions compliance, risk assessment, employee background checks, and other compliance-related activities The site also includes features like biometric AML, case management, ongoing monitoring, batch search, configurable risk scoring, and custom whitelisting/blacklisting ( the “Services”).

The data we collect from our customers, users, and site visitors is solely utilized for purposes of provisioning and delivering of our Services. We also dedicate ourselves to safeguarding the data collected in compliance with legal standards. Your continued interaction with our website and Services signifies your acceptance of these practices. Should you or your users not agree with any part of these terms, we advise discontinuing use immediately. Your ongoing engagement will be taken as your assent to our data handling as described.

If you are concerned that we are handling your personal data improperly, you also have the right to make a complaint to the concerned data protection regulator. However, we value your comments about our Policy and invite you to email us with inquiries, suggestions and complaints at legal@amlwatcher.com as we would be happy to try to resolve it directly.

Why Do We Collect Your Information?

The information is collected while accessing our website or while provisioning our Services. This information includes, but not limited, to your name, contact number, email address, payment information etc. to provide you a better experience with us. The information is collected for the foregoing reasons which includes but are not limited to:

• Keeping you informed about our latest offerings and products.
• We aim to maintain open communication channels with you.
• To address any inquiries or issues you might raise.
• To ensure customer relationship management as this is a key focus for us.
• We regularly conduct surveys to gauge user engagement with our Services and website.
• We analyze collective data to refine the content and structure of our site, enhancing user relevance.
• To leverage behavioral insights in order finetune our service marketing strategies.
• To maintain stringent anti-money laundering, sanctions, and adverse media data protocols.
• Analysing aggregated data to update our site’s content and layout to improve relevance for visitors.
• To modify our website and Services as per your requirements 
• To ensure strict adherence to legal requirements.

• Training our machines to learn algorithms for verification.
• Training our artificial intelligence systems
• Preventing fraudulent use of Services
• Training our human intelligence officers

Information We May Collect From You

• Visitors to https://amlwatcher.com/

When you visit https://amlwatcher.com/, we gather your device's IP address and use cookies, subject to your approval, to recognize your browser and gather pertinent data. This helps us understand visitor drop-offs and enhance site experience. For those who use our chat or messaging services, we collect names, emails, and chat logs, using them exclusively for communication and service updates. Additionally, if you access our site through third-party platforms, we collect your name, job title, company name and business email address specific professional details.

• Information provided while availing our Services and completing forms from our website.

We acquire personal data such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and payment details from our customers and their users during registration, account creation, or technology use, ensuring we have explicit consent. When using contact forms on our site, we may gather your name, email, contact details, company and industry information, along with any additional information you provide. Completing the contact form also associates your IP address with this data, allowing us to identify you.

• Subscription of Newsletters

If you choose to subscribe to our newsletter, we will collect your email. Newsletters may be sent upto twice every week with highlights and news about our Services and related industry. You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time by updating your email preferences using the ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ link in our email footers, or by sending an email to legal@amlwatcher.com with the subject line ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ from the email address you wish to unsubscribe.

• Information collected from publicly available sources

We gather information from government-issued public lists about sanctions and crime prevention, typically including names, birth dates, nationalities, list inclusion reasons, and listing duration. Additionally, we collect data about prominent public figures, their relatives, associates, and business ties, including names, birth details, positions, connections indicating PEP status, nationality, residence, photos, and active service periods. Our system also identifies publicly available news articles linking individuals to financial or other misconduct, extracting relevant age information. Lastly, we obtain details about shareholdings and directorships from public corporate registries or third parties.

• Business contacts

Information we receive from you (e.g. business cards, correspondence during the sales process)

• Candidates for jobs with Risk Watcher
• Our anti-money laundering, sanctions and adverse media data and databases

Legitimate Interest

In exceptional cases, we may share your personal information without prior consent to defend our legal interests, protect our affiliates and their parties, ensure safety, counter fraud, manage risks, or adhere to legal obligations. Furthermore, should you raise concerns about potential rights infringements, we may disclose necessary details to address your complaints effectively.

With Whom This Information Is Shared And How Risk Watcher Shares Personal And Anonymized Information

Risk Watcher makes use of the information collected, processed, and stored during any and each step of the AML checks to verify end-users for a legitimate purpose. We ensure that the client and it’s business is completely legal and the information collection and usage is aligned with the end-user’s absolute consent. Our process is completely transparent and the end-user is informed which of their information will be used and for what purpose.

We may disclose your personal data to our insurers and/or professional advisers insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining insurance coverage, managing risks, obtaining professional advice, and/or managing legal disputes.

Financial transactions relating to our website and Services are handled by our payment services provider. We will share transaction data with our payment services provider(s) only to the extent necessary for the purposes of processing your payments.

We may disclose the information provided by you (end-user or client) to any member of our group of companies (which means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company, and all its subsidiaries) or third party service providers insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes set out in this Policy. We have facilities and staff in different countries around the world and as a result, personal information may be transferred to them or accessed from those locations. We take all the necessary actions to ensure the security of your personal information when transferred across borders.

In general, we share the personal and anonymized information we collect in connection with the Services as detailed below:

1. We share the personal and anonymized information that we collect with you and to such other parties as instructed and agreed with you.
2. We also use third-party service providers to help us deliver, manage, and constantly improve our Services. These service providers may collect and/or use your personal information or anonymized information to assist us in achieving the purposes stated. 
3. We may also share your personal information with other third parties when necessary to fulfill your requests for Services; to complete a transaction that you initiate, to meet the terms of any agreement that you have with us or our partners, etc.
4. We may also use or share your personal information with third parties when we have reason to believe that doing so is necessary; to comply with applicable law or a court order, subpoena, or other legal process; to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities; suspected fraud, violations of our terms and conditions, or situations involving threats to our property or the property or physical safety of any person or third party; to establish, protect, or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims; or to facilitate the financing, securitization, insuring, sale, assignment, bankruptcy, or other disposal of all or part of our business or assets.

In cases where the client's requirements vary from our policy, Risk Watcher may handle end-user data, including sensitive information, differently. Clients can modify or restrict certain Service features. End-users should also review the client's privacy policy for a complete understanding of their data's handling when using our Services.

The end-user’s personal information may travel outside the United States of America for the purposes of human intelligence checks that serve as an essential part of the identity verification process. We provide our clients with an option to forego the human intelligence checks, relying solely on the results detected and compiled by the artificial intelligence system. We have our office in the United States of America and provide services in 150+ countries.

Our End Users

Our service involves authenticating documents and screening them against AML databases to confirm the identities of our clients' customers, who are the end-users. The collection of verification data from these end-users is contingent on the chosen verification method, either directly from the clients or the end-users in cases of onsite or offsite verification processes.

Data Storage And Retention

Risk Watcher gathers and retains client and end-user data to deliver its Services. With the significant responsibility of handling vast user data, we've crafted retention policies to meet legal obligations concerning personal data handling. We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the intended purposes

Client and end-user personal data in our possession is stored for three (3) months before potential deletion. Should a client instruct otherwise, we will adhere to their directives regarding the retention or removal of this data. 

Without explicit guidance from the data controller, we'll determine how long to keep your personal data, such as documents and private details, guided by data protection laws and the need for legal compliance or service enhancement.

We reserve the right to maintain personal data when it's necessary to meet legal obligations or protect the fundamental interests of any individual.

Data Security

Risk Watcher adopts robust security protocols to reduce the risk of data compromise, covering both proactive and reactive strategies within the data lifecycle. In line with GDPR mandates, we conduct rigorous audits to maintain operational excellence and encryption standards. By consistently integrating advanced security methods, we stay at the forefront of data protection.

Our adherence to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) underscores our commitment to safeguarding customer information from unauthorized use. PCI DSS compliance demonstrates our dedication to achieving high-level technical and operational security measures.

Your Rights

Being the data subject, you possess distinct rights concerning the personal data we handle, offering you choices in our use of such information.

At any moment, you have the option to cease receiving our marketing emails by executing the opt-out instructions provided therein. Be aware that the opt-out process might take up to 10 days, during which you might still receive marketing messages. Even after opting out, we may still send you essential non-marketing communications linked to our ongoing business relationship or legal updates.

You being the data subject, have certain rights over the data we process which are recognized by privacy laws, but they are subject to certain limitations. For instance, we may not comply with a request if it means disclosing someone else's personal data or if it conflicts with our legal obligations or essential business interests. We reserve the right to invoke any legal exemptions when necessary.

• • The right to be informed
  • The Right of Access
  • The Right to Rectification
  • The Right to Erasure
  • Right to Restrict Processing
  • The Right to Data Portability

• The Right to Object

Changes To Our Privacy Policy

Risk Watcher reserves the right to change this Policy from time to time to reflect changes as per the recent and best/latest market practices or according to the changes in applicable law in view of changing technology or Services. The changes incorporated within this Policy will be communicated via i) posting the updated Policy website and indicate its revision ii) through an email or iii) public announcement. You are advised to review this Policy periodically, to stay informed of our recent practices. In case any material changes are made or incorporated, the same will be announced by us by provide you with additional notice, such as posting a statement on our homepage or sending you an email notification, if we have your email address on file.

Once you continue to use the Services after the revision of Policy have been effectively indicated/communicated, that you have read, understood, and agreed to the latest version of the Policy, you will be governed by the latest Policy to the extent permitted by applicable laws.

EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Risk Watcher complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (EU-U.S. DPF) and the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce. We  have been certified in the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles (EU-U.S. DPF Principles) with regard to the processing of personal data received from the European Union and the United Kingdom in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF and the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF.  If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the EU-U.S. DPF Principles, the Principles shall govern.  To learn more about the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) Program, and to view our certification, please visit https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/

Privacy Complaints

Though we regret any oversight, we understand that they can occur. We take your feedback seriously and are committed to resolving issues satisfactorily. Should you have concerns regarding the use of your personal information, please contact us at legal@amlwatcher.com. For secure processing of your rights, you may be requested to provide two forms of ID.

We pledge to review and respond to your concerns within ten (10) working days, allowing us the necessary time for a comprehensive investigation.

Children’s Privacy

We do not target our Services to individuals under sixteen (16) years old and do not intentionally gather information from them. We affirmatively collect confirmation from users during the verification process that they are at least sixteen (16) years old at the point of personal data collection.

Links to Other Websites and Third-Party Content

Our website may include links to external websites, platforms, and apps not governed or operated by us. We do not endorse or affirm our association with these third parties through these links, nor do their privacy practices fall under our Policy. We suggest you examine the privacy policies of these third-party services before submitting any personal information.