Data & Transparency
How PTBI's data should be understood, and why map visualizations represent reporting activity, not a complete measurement of corruption.
Contents
Please review this document carefully.
This document is provided for information about platform policies and should not be treated as legal advice. Reports on PTBI are user-submitted allegations unless independently verified.
1. Understanding PTBI Data
PTBI data represents activity on this platform. It is not a complete measurement of corruption, honesty or institutional performance across India.
A high volume of reports in a specific state or department does not automatically mean it is the "most corrupt." High report volume may actually reflect:
- Larger underlying population.
- Greater civic awareness or digital literacy.
- More active PTBI users in that region.
- Greater willingness among citizens to speak up.
Therefore, we refer to our statistics as "Reporting Activity" or "Submitted Reports", not "Corruption Levels."
2. Methodology Definitions
Report Counts
The number of submitted experiences meeting the platform's publication criteria, regardless of verification status.
Honesty Recognitions
Positive recognitions submitted by users who experienced ethical conduct.
Location
Geographic information is presented according to the location state/city declared by the user in the report.
Time
Statistics should always identify the relevant reporting period (e.g., Last 90 days).
3. Verification Status
What does "Independently Verified" mean?
Verification means PTBI has independently reviewed the available supporting information to a defined standard. Publication alone does not mean that a report has been verified.
The default state of all published reports. Contains allegations documented by a citizen.
PTBI staff or authorized partners have reviewed concrete evidence supporting the core claims.
4. Data Limitations
- Reporting activity is not prevalence: 100 reports in City A vs 10 reports in City B does not prove City A is 10x more corrupt.
- Absence of reports does not establish absence of misconduct: Zero reports may just mean zero platform adoption.
- AI moderation does not establish truth: AI checks for safety and policy compliance, not factual accuracy.
- User-submitted accounts: Published content remains a user-submitted allegation unless explicitly marked as independently verified.