Bringing transparency to beneficial ownership

Microsoft ACTS believes the time has come to shine a brighter light on beneficial ownership, closing the information gaps that fuel corruption.

Beneficial ownership asks a simple question: Who benefits the most from a transaction?

Suppliers, contractors, and the individuals who own and benefit from these entities interact and transact with governments every day. Ensuring the transparency and integrity of these interactions requires governments to have the proper resources to identify potential risks.

Microsoft ACTS, our Advanced Cloud Transparency Services initiative, brings together partners and the latest technology to help governments connect all the dots of their transactions, signaling potential risks with beneficial owners that warrant further investigation.

Beneficial ownership Q&A

Norman Hodne, Program Director, Microsoft ACTS (Advanced Cloud Transparency Services) breaks down beneficial ownership as a concept, why it’s an important challenge to address, and what ACTS is doing to help governments prevent it.

Read the Q&A

Shining a light on beneficial ownership

It’s time for a new approach to beneficial ownership transparency, an approach driven by technology and fueled by data. Microsoft ACTS is committed to finding the right partners, asking the right questions, and building the right local communities to lead this transformational opportunity.

Beneficial ownership explained

Technology hasn’t kept pace with efforts to obscure beneficial ownership. That’s important because maintaining open and transparent government relies on knowing who benefits from owning companies that contract with government agencies.

Revealing beneficial ownership

"When governments don’t know who the beneficial owner of a company is, it can lead to significant legal risk and prevents fair competition from occurring," says Chris Nelson, Data & Operations, Microsoft Corporate External and Legal Affairs. Microsoft ACTS is teaming with partners to develop technology solutions that unlock opportunities for governments to identify beneficial ownership through their data.