Adverse media screening — structured, AI-powered negative news
Screen candidates against thousands of media sources worldwide using AI-powered categorisation. Structured risk categories surface relevant negative coverage — not a raw search — so your compliance team can act quickly on what matters.
What is adverse media screening?
Adverse media screening (also called negative news screening) searches thousands of media sources for coverage of a candidate that may indicate risk. Unlike a basic web search, InfoVetted's adverse media check uses AI-powered analysis to categorise results into structured risk types — so you get relevant findings, not a list of raw articles to sift through.
Unlike a DBS check — which queries a closed, structured government database — adverse media screening captures reputational and conduct risk that exists in the public domain but is not recorded in formal criminal records. For regulated firms, it forms a key part of the SMCR fitness and propriety due diligence process.
Regulated and senior hires
- ✓FCA-regulated firms — part of SMCR fitness and propriety due diligence
- ✓Banks, asset managers, and insurers — standard for senior and regulated hires
- ✓Legal, accountancy, and compliance professionals
- ✓Any senior executive or board-level appointment
Sources and structured risk categories
Results are returned as structured risk categories — not raw news results — making triage faster for compliance teams.
- ✓Financial crime: fraud, money laundering, bribery, corruption, tax evasion
- ✓Regulatory enforcement: FCA, PRA, SFO, HMRC actions, public censures, Final Notices
- ✓Legal proceedings: court records, civil and criminal cases (where publicly available)
- ✓Professional misconduct: disciplinary findings from professional bodies
- ✓Reputational risk: negative press coverage, serious allegations
- ✓Sources span UK and global press databases, court records, regulator publications, and structured open-source intelligence — thousands of sources across multiple languages
Up and running in days, not months
Define your package
Choose checks by role — Senior Manager, Certified Person, or a custom package for your firm.
Invite your candidate
Candidate receives a secure link to the InfoVetted portal, which displays your company name. They submit the required information and documents digitally — no paperwork.
Checks run automatically
No manual chasing. Real-time status updates as each check completes across our provider network.
Audit-ready report
FCA-examination-ready results stored securely with a full audit trail in your portal.
Frequently asked questions
What if there are lots of results for a common name?
Adverse media screening includes AI-powered disambiguation — matching results to the correct individual using date of birth, nationality, location, and other identifiers. False positives from common names are filtered and flagged before the result is returned to you.
Does adverse media screening replace a DBS check?
No. They are complementary. A DBS check queries formal criminal records databases. Adverse media screening catches public-domain reputational risk that does not appear in formal records. Most packages for regulated roles include both.
Can I monitor an employee on an ongoing basis?
Yes. Ongoing adverse media monitoring is available through InfoVetted, alerting you if new negative coverage emerges after the initial hire. This is recommended for senior and regulated employees where status can change post-appointment.
Pricing
Adverse Media checks are available on Pay as You Go and above. Per-check pricing is available inside your dashboard after sign-up. For FCA-regulated firms with volume needs, contact us for Finance & Enterprise pricing.
Ready to meet your SMCR obligations?
Speak to our compliance screening team and we'll build a package tailored to your firm's FCA requirements.