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The Counter

SOMO’s global helpdesk for environmental and social justice activists challenging corporate power

The Counter is a new SOMO initiative to support those most in need of information about companies causing environmental harm, climate collapse, social injustices, and human rights abuses. The Counter exists to help activists expose and hold multinational companies and their owners accountable for their destructive and unfair business practices.

Multinational companies set up complex global subsidiaries and shell structures to shift profits, lower costs, undermine labour standards, avert regulation, and dodge taxes. Decades of largely unregulated corporate expansion have led to environmental and climate catastrophes, abuse of workers’ rights, and widespread corporate impunity.

The corporate research provided by The Counter can be used in public interest investigations, the media, public campaigns, or in court, so activists are better equipped with data, evidence, and analyses when standing up to company giants. We strive for truth, transparency and justice at The Counter.

How does The Counter work?

The Counter’s corporate research team investigates companies – big, small, public, private, or letterbox– by “following the money” to reveal corporate and capital structures, shell companies in tax havens, hidden profits, secret owners, supply chains, and influential investors. We want to help communities figure out who or what they are up against since it is not always clear who is in charge. We use open-source and publicly available information, as well as material from subscription databases.

Do you need help investigating a company? Please take a look at our frequently asked questions (FAQs) before submitting a request for research. The FAQs include The Counter’s eligibility criteria, guidelines, and instructions for submitting a research inquiry. Once you are ready to submit, kindly do so here.

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