Offshore A-Z is a digital repository of companies operating across major tax havens. Offshore A-Z exploits the inscrutability of such companies to speculate on their possible nature and intent. Each company listed on here is real, but the information surrounding these consist of both actual records, obtained by dmstfctn, and speculative images and mission statements, generated by algorithms.

Tax havens, or secrecy jurisdictions, employ laws and corporate regulations different from those of most jurisdictions, using secrecy as a prime tool. Furthermore, the agents operating offshore on behalf of clients elsewhere have been observed by dmstfctn to willfully introduce mistakes in the records held on the companies they help forming. (Offshore Investigation Vehicle)

When offshore companies are but a bundle of papers held in private storages, these practices contribute to a number of possible configurations of any given offshore company, whose records are at once factually correct and conveniently flawed.

Offshore A-Z plays with the idea that truth is not one nor static, and that it does not need to be upheld equally at all times or in all fora.

Obtaining the data

The data contained within Offshore A-Z comes from a number of sources. Prior to the Offshore Leaks, the snippets of information available on offshore companies were largely confined to the outdated online registrars kept by tax havens, as an empty gesture towards transparency. Employing data scraping techniques, dmstfctn extracted records on hundreds of thousands of companies appearing in a number of such registrars.

Yielding varying amounts of information, and naturally full of gaps - sometimes full company details and descriptions, sometimes little more than a name - the records were cross referenced with data from the ICIJ’s Offshore Leaks as well as Financial Secrecy Index scores from the Tax Justice Network, and compiled into a single searchable database.

Training the algorithms

Algorithms were then trained to fill in the gaps in information. Using keywords from the company’s records as a trigger, the algorithms associate images with each nondescript company and complete missing fields by guessing possible incorporation dates or by generating corporate mission statement via a simple neural network. The coherency and accuracy of the neural network is directly undermined by the opaque source material, or incomplete input records. Finally, companies previously named in the Offshore Leaks ( for example) are hyperlinked to the relevant entry on the ICIJ database, allowing user to investigate further.

Compiling the template

The resulting information is autonomously built into a Web 2.0 page, employing a visual grammar similar to that used by existing registrars of companies. However, under intense scrutiny, the template mealts away revealing warm hues and floating forms.

This cycle of actions is repeated for each unreleased company found in the database and publicly announced by a Twitter bot.

Zooming in

Among the companies listed on the Offshore A-Z, a few appearing to be embedded in complex offshore vehicles were further investigated, resulting in three stories focusing on the funding behind Leave.EU, the corporate tax-avoidance of Barclays and the colonial origins of HSBC.

Offshore A-Z is a project by dmstfctn.

RED-LABZ MULTIMEDIA N.V.

Company Name RED-LABZ MULTIMEDIA N.V.
Date of Registration 21st February 2001
Company Objective 1. IN COMMAND PERFORMANCE OF DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE WORK ON INTERNET SITES AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND ADVERTISEMENTS INCLUDING DESIGN, GRAPHICS ACTIVITIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME;
2. THE FOUNDING OF THE PARTICIPATING IN THE COOPERATION WITH THE FINANCING OF, administering, USE OF DIRECTORS ON THE GRANTING OF MANAGEMENT ADVICE FOR, OR IS FURTHER INTEREST IN OTHER COMPANIES OR COMPANIES;
3. BANKING OF EQUITY SECURITIES, INDEX PRODUCTS, CLAIMS AND OTHER EQUITY SECURITIES, to acquire, manage, use and dispose of investment objects or THESE RIGHTS THERETO;
4. PROVIDE GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES OF DEBTS OF OTHER COMPANIES, AND / OR THIRD PARTIES;
5. THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO COMPANIES, THE ADVISE OF COMPANIES AND THE HIRING OF MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT TO OTHER COMPANIES, THE EXPLOIT OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND PARTICIPATING IN OR ACT AS (limited partner OR PERSONALLY) PARTNER IN JOINT VENTURES OR INTEREST COMMUNITIES COMMITMENT AND JOINT VENTURES;
6. THE ACTING AS TRUSTEE, DIRECTORS CARRIER AND ADMINISTRATOR IN ACTIVITIES CAPITAL, TRUST CAPACITY, PARTNERSHIPS AND CONTRIBUTIONS;
7. THE EXERCISE OF A TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY TO THE FULLEST SENSE;
8. THE ACT AS AGENT OR OTHER TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES REPRESENTATIVE;
9. INSTALLATION AND NOW HAVE SPECIFIC DIGITAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS - EQUIPMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES RELATING TO TERMINALS IN ARUBA AND RELATING TO END STATIONS AND OTHER PLANTS OUT OF ARUBA;
10. THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND THE INSTALLATION AND PROVISION OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE PROVISION OF A SERVICE THAT IT MAY MAKE THAT COMPANIES AND / OR PERSONS TO ACCESS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS AND ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE COMPUTER;
11. THE PROVISION OF SERVICES RELATING TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS Multimedia;
12. TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS
13. GIVING ADVICE IN THE FIELD OF DATA COMMUNICATION, TELECOMMUNICATIONS WORKS AND ELECTRONICS AND AUTOMATION TO THE FULLEST SENSE;
14. INTRODUCING AND MANAGING SMART CARD SYSTEMS;
15. GROOMING FOR TRAINING IN of- AND MAKING AND MAINTAINING WEB SITES;
16. SALES, RENTAL AND MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS;
17. DOING 'ELECTRONIC COMMERCE'.
18 SELLING ADS / ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET,.
19 THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTAINING AND EXPLOIT OF ACCESS SYSTEMS IN THE ELECTRONIC HIGHWAY (THE "WEB");
20 HAVING HELD. EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR CONSTRUCTION, MAINTAINING AND eXPLOIT OF ACCESS SYSTEMS TO THE INTERNET;
21 REQUESTING, OBTAINING AND HAVE (IF ANY REQUIRED) LICENCE IS NECESSARY TO HAVE POSSESSION OF EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, MAINTAINING AND eXPLOIT OF ACCESS SYSTEMS TO. .. THE INTERNET
22 THE REMUNERATION POINT GIVEN TO SUBSCRIBERS AND / OR THEIR AUTHORIZED THIRD PARTIES TO ACCESS SYSTEMS TO THE INTERNET,.
23 OBTAINING INCOME IN PARTICULAR (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) THOSE ARISING FROM THE OPERATION OF ACCESS SYSTEMS TO THE INTERNET, AND THOSE ARISING FROM THE COMPANY ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF THE COMPANY INVESTMENTS MADE,.
24 THE ABOVE DEFINED GOAL CAN ONLY BE PERFORMED TO THE EXTENT OF THE COMPANY FOR THAT PURPOSE THE REQUIRED AUTHORIZATION OR OBTAINED CONCESSIONS;
25. the setting of bail and other guarantees and the transfer of ownership - whether in fiduciary or trust - or mortgage, pledge or otherwise encumber assets, all this as security for the payment of the debts of vernnootschap and debt of third parties, whether in return contraprestatie;
26. ALL OR PART OF BUILDING AND PENSION BENEFIT OF EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES OF THE COMPANY AND / OR THEIR SURVIVORS;
27. Acting as a finance and mediating in THE CREATION OF FINANCING OF VARIOUS TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS;
28. THE COMPANY MAY SUB 27 LISTED ACTIVITIES ONLY BE MADE IN THE CONTEXT OF ITS NORMAL BUSINESS - OTHER THAN THE ACTION SIGNIFICANTLY as finance companies - AND IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN NOT BE REGARDED AS CREDIT INSTITUTIONS UNDER THE NATIONAL ORDINANCE SUPERVISION CREDIT BEING. ALSO IN PULLING ON HER IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND / OR APPLY TO TURN OUT TO THE PUBLIC;
29. PARTICIPATING IN, SUPPORT GRANT ON OR IN ANY WAY FURTHER INTEREST, OR THE DIRECTORS CARRIED OVER OR REPRESENTATION SIGHTING OF OTHER COMPANIES, COMPANIES AND LEGAL PERSONS, REGARDLESS OF THE TARGET DEFINITION;
30. PERFORM ALL WORK AND ALL MEASURES WHICH THE ABOVE TO THE FULLEST MEANING CONNECTED, ARISING THEREFROM OR FOSTER THEM BE.
Country
aruba
Financial Secrecy Index [more info] 68
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