A little thread on why independence matters in journalism. Together with @investigate-europe.eu, the Guardian has been investigating the dangerous illegal casinos trade. 🧵

And here is a version by the peerless @maxencepeigne.bsky.social for @investigate-europe.eu. You could not wish for a more forensic, tenacious and dynamic reporting partner.

European gambling group linked to unlicensed online casinos — attracting millions of visits from the UK and EU. Our new investigation, published with @theguardian.com reveals how a network of illicit gambling websites operated from the offshore haven of Curaçao trace back to Europe.

Revealed: Facial recognition system monitoring Brazil’s schoolchildren Our investigation in partnership with @pulitzercenter.org uncovers how a Europe-made AI technology, blocked at home, is being exported abroad – embedding itself in Brazilian schools with consequences far beyond the classroom.

“Online casinos with no ID checks are the ‘Holy Grail!’” We tested ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini & others in 10 countries. In 3 out of 4 responses, AI systems recommended unlicensed gambling sites, sometimes explaining how to bypass safeguards. MEPs warn of gaps in the EU’s AI Act & Digital Services Act.

What happens when you ask AI chatbots how to access illegal casinos? All provide lists of the "best" unlicensed operators linked to fraud, addiction and suicide and tips on how to access them. MetaAI describes source of wealth checks as a "buzzkill" More in our excl with @investigate-europe.eu 👇

Star streamers steer millions of Europeans to unlicensed online casinos Our new investigation reveals how social media influencers across Europe are promoting unlicensed betting sites on YouTube and Twitch to their legions of online followers, profiting significant sums in the process.

𝗜𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀? Our latest Secrecy Tracker looks at the EU’s main transparency battles for 2026, from access limits to court cases, Ombudsman probes, deleted messages at the top, and more. Co-written with @investigate-europe.eu & @euobserver.com

Today, we’re excited to announce the CIJ–Investigate Europe Lyra McKee Fellowship, in partnership with @tcij.org. Fellows will work with Investigate Europe journalists on cross-border investigations in a flexible format. Apply by 6 April: tcij.org/news/cij-inv...

Two Norwegian nationals and a Petronor subsidiary have been charged over an oil deal Investigate Europe reported on. The case is now part of a transnational probe involving authorities in Norway, France and the US. The oil fields are majority-owned by Perenco, a company we’ve tracked since 2022.

Meet the team that will bring you real stories of significance from a changing Europe in 2026. Investigate Europe turns 10 this year and we remain steadfast to delivering in-depth investigations that give voices to the unheard and have a real impact. Read about work. www.investigate-europe.eu

Current & historic landfills across the UK & Europe are sited near rivers, on coasts, in flood risk zones, explains @profkatespencer.bsky.social - climate change means extreme rainfall events & flooding are happening more often, increasing risk of pollutants entering waterways. 🧵 1/3

🚨 New mapping by @theguardian.com, @watershed-i.bsky.social, and @investigate-europe.eu has revealed thousands of landfill sites across the UK that may be leaching toxic pollution.   🗑️ 22,000 UK sites predate pollution control regulations, such as linings to prevent leaching.

Our report on pollution from landfill with @investigate-europe.eu was covered by Martin Stew on ITV News last night. If you fancy watching the whole piece, it's available here: youtu.be/WY9poL0hhj4?...

Thousands of landfills across Europe lie in flood-risk zones, areas which could endanger drinking water or sensitive conservation sites, Investigate Europe and Watershed Investigations can reveal in the largest landfill mapping exercise ever undertaken across the continent.

⚠️ En Europe, au moins 28 % des décharges seraient situées en zones inondables. Ces dépôts polluent les eaux avec des métaux lourds et des microplastiques. Reporterre a enquêté avec @theguardian.com, @investigate-europe.eu et @watershed-i.bsky.social. ➡️ https://l.reporterre.net/xUv

‼️ INVESTIGACIÓN | El mapa de la basura de Europa: miles de vertederos amenazan el agua, los suelos y la salud pública infoLibre, medio colaborador de la red internacional @investigate-europe.eu, publica en exclusiva en España esta investigación www.infolibre.es/medioambient...

Mercury, lead, arsenic + PFAS: Europe's hidden historic landfills leaching chemicals into water, soil + ecosystems. Our new joint report with @investigate-europe.eu, out now: share.google/gQ0rXbwL4rjN...

Toxic Ground, our new investigation together with @watershed-i.bsky.social, is Europe’s largest-ever landfill mapping project, published with partners across the continent. www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/europe...

Argan has evolved from a traditional Berber oil produced by women-led collectives to a cosmetic & cooking elixir sold across the globe. Big companies dominate supply chains, leaving small collectives behind. Our article investigates the impact of this shift. www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/morocc...

🇪🇺📥 This week in Europe Uncovered: vape lobbying creeps into EU health rules, Brussels-funded tech boosts Turkish surveillance, and football rushes into crypto. Plus: weak protections for U.K. seasonal workers and Swiss billionaires bending tax rules. Here’s this week’s best investigations:

Social media is full of so-called financial influencers promising quick wealth. Our new article details how "finfluencers” may profit from leading their audience to unregulated investment firms. Young people are particularly exposed while current safeguards do little to protect them.

European football is awash with crypto money. 1 in 3 teams in the top five leagues now have a crypto/trading sponsor -- some not covered by financial regulators. In the Premier League, 70% of clubs have an investment partner. Our new investigation out w/ @rorysmith.bsky.social & The Observer:

‼️ Investigación | El fútbol europeo se llena de patrocinadores cripto pese a las alertas de los reguladores Por Lorenzo Buzzoni y Chris Matthews infoLibre, medio colaborador de @investigate-europe.eu, publica en exclusiva en España esta investigación www.infolibre.es/investigacio...

European football has enthusiastically embraced the industry, including firms flagged as posing financial risks to consumers. Read more as Rory Smith, Lorenzo Buzzoni, and Chris Matthews investigate.https://bit.ly/4qMfw34

Revealed: Fans at risk as crypto and trading sponsors flood European football Unregulated firms and operators flagged by authorities for posing risks to consumers are among dozens of cryptocurrency and trading sponsors now present across European football, Investigate Europe can reveal.

After our investigation revealed years of oil leaks and rising illnesses in DR Congo, Perenco faces court in Paris. Investigate Europe & partners found 167 pollution incidents — including in protected areas — harming soil, water, and local communities. www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/perenc...

Uncovered: Europe’s digital dark side is growing fast. An AI goldrush is fuelling a boom in investment fraud — with millions falling victim to scams powered by deepfakes, voice cloning, fake news, and hacked celebrity accounts.

Part 2 of Scam Europe drops tomorrow! Over the past six months, Investigate Europe has teamed up with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network to uncover networks, speak to victims & understand why AI-charged investment scams are sweeping the continent. www.investigate-europe.eu/themes/inves...

Sie versprechen das große Geld, doch dann ist alles weg: Vermeintliche Investmentplattformen betrügen Menschen um Millionen. Den Drahtziehern auf die Schliche zu kommen, ist schwierig. Eine Recherche von @investigate-europe.eu und BIRN deckt neue Informationen auf. netzpolitik.org/2025/online-...

Last year, online investment scams cost Europeans €4bn. With AI, deepfakes & fake trading platforms, fraudsters are evolving faster than regulators. We've teamed up with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network and media across Europe to launch Scam Europe.

Great news! Our investigation Deadly Prices won the IJ4EU Impact Award! Eight months of work revealed Europe’s hidden medicine pricing and impact on patients. Congrats to all nominees & winners! Read it here: www.investigate-europe.eu/themes/inves... Thanks to the organisers @ecpmf.bsky.social

🏅 Our first winner is Deadly Prices (@investigate-europe.eu, @ndr.de, WDR aktuell, @szde.bsky.social, Reporters United, Eesti Ekspress & RTP) revealed why life-saving medicines are unaffordable in Europe. By calculating drug prices, the team showed how Big Pharma exploits opacity to keep costs high.

NEW: Exclusive analysis reveals that thousands of transgender people in Europe were pushed toward invasive surgery under national laws, writes Ella Joyner for @newlinesmag.bsky.social, with @investigate-europe.eu newlinesmag.com/reportage/eu...

Revealed: at least 11,000 trans people were subjected to contested sterilisation requirements for legal gender recognition, Investigate Europe shows in the first cross-border estimate. These rules existed in several EU countries. Chances for reparations are minimal.

💊 Why do life-saving medicines remain unaffordable in Europe? “Deadly Prices”, by @investigate-europe.eu and partners, exposes how Big Pharma exploits secrecy, patents and lobbying to inflate drug costs, putting profit over patients: www.investigate-europe.eu/themes/inves... #IJ4EU

🏆 We are delighted to announce that Deadly Prices, our cross-border investigation into unequal access to medicines in Europe, is shortlisted for the #IJ4EU Impact Award 2025! A big thank you to our 20+ media partners involved in the project, and to the award organisers for recognising our work!

We’ve just published our 2024 Annual Report. It’s a look back at the investigations we led, the impact we made, and the stories that crossed borders. Thank you to our readers, donors, and partners for making it possible. Read it here: bit.ly/4kTsCrm

For the first time, EU institutions face legal action for inaction on Gaza. Under Article 265 of the EU Treaty, lawyers from JURDI are taking the Commission & Council to court. Investigate Europe’s @maggiore.bsky.social reports for @euobserver.com. Our work is part of the case → bit.ly/3RZcQ8I

After our exposé on Soft2bet's linked to blacklisted gambling sites, over 50 fake copyright claims were filed against us & our media partners. Our reporter @maxencepeigne.bsky.social speaks with @ecpmf.bsky.social about how this tactic is used to silence journalism. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Srx...

⚙️ After exposing links between Soft2Bet and over 100 blacklisted gambling sites, journalists at @investigate-europe.eu were targeted with fake copyright claims. We talked to Maxence Peigné, who revealed how press freedom is being quietly dismantled. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Srx...

Deadline today! We’re hiring a new Managing Director with strategic experience to help lead our cross-border newsroom. The role will focus on fundraising, financial oversight and external representation. Fully remote, salary range of €60–70k. 👀 Full job description: bit.ly/43IDPWi

The European Defence Fund is intended to finance domestic innovation and the EU's future military systems. A new investigation by @investigate-europe.eu and @reportersunited.gr finds that millions in EDF money is benefiting an Israeli state defence company directly involved in the Gaza conflict...

An Israeli state defence company directly involved in the Gaza conflict is benefiting from millions in EU defence funding, thanks to an exemption allowing foreign-owned firms to participate in the bloc's military projects. New Investigate Europe investigation w/ @reportersunited.gr and partners:

A European subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries is currently involved in 15 EU defence projects, including a multi-million euro drone development programme co-funded by European governments.

‼️ Investigación | El Fondo Europeo de Defensa financia con millones a un fabricante de drones propiedad de Israel Konstantina Maltepioti, Maria Maggiore y Leila Minano en @investigate-europe.eu, consorcio del que forma parte infoLibre ow.ly/EX7c50W7wna

Revealed: European Defence Fund millions benefiting Israeli state drone company Intracom Defense, a Greek subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is part of 15 EU defence projects, including a €59m drone programme co-funded by EU govts. New investigation w/ @reportersunited.gr and partners:

Auf kritische Berichterstattung über ein Online-Glücksspielunternehmen folgten fingierte Urheberrechtsbeschwerden. Google schmiss die Inhalte aus seiner Suche. Der Fall demonstriert die Probleme bei automatisierter Urheberrechtsdurchsetzung. netzpolitik.org/2025/zensurh...

Frivolous copyright claims ‘censor’ Investigate Europe's gambling exposé

🔸Η #Google έσβησε από τα αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης τα ρεπορτάζ μας για τον παράνομο τζόγο. 🔸Το ιστορικό της λογοκρισίας & αποκατάστασης της έρευνάς μας. ✍️ @ebersi.bsky.social @maxencepeigne.bsky.social Δέσποινα Τζάνη @investigate-europe.eu - @reportersunited.gr