E172: Is this the end of beneficial ownership data?

In August 2026, FinCEN made it official: US companies no longer have to disclose who actually owns them.

Five years after the Corporate Transparency Act was signed into law as America's "toughest anti-corruption tool in a generation", the federal registry behind it is being switched off — and the data already collected is being deleted.

Our expert host. Robin Lycka, is joined by Erica Hanichak, Co-Director of the FACT Coalition, to ask: is this the end of beneficial ownership data?

They discuss: the government decision that will wipe 16 million reports, why it was taken, and its long-term consequences.

Producer: Matthew Dunne-Miles

Editor: Dominic Delargy

Video: Loïs Dunford

Subscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.

____________________________________

The Laundry explores the complex world of financial crime, anti-money laundering (AML), compliance, sanctions, and global financial regulation.

Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka, each episode features in-depth conversations with leading experts from banking, fintech, regulatory bodies, and investigative journalism — dissecting headline news, unpacking regulatory trends, and examining the real-world consequences of non-compliance.

The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise.