Why data sleuths are archiving the Jeffrey Epstein files: ‘We want to provide some clarity’
Data scientists and volunteers are archiving Jeffrey Epstein's files to provide clarity after the Department of Justice missed a deadline for releasing unclassified documents. Tommy Carstensen oversees a comprehensive archive that includes interactive graphics and a facial recognition tool. The efforts are supported by a growing community of journalists and researchers applying technical analyses to uncover information in the Epstein files.
- ▪Tommy Carstensen manages one of the most sophisticated archives of Epstein materials, dedicating up to 50 hours a week to the project.
- ▪The archive includes over 1 million documents, interactive graphics, and a facial recognition tool for identifying individuals in the files.
- ▪A new searchable database of faces has been created, revealing images of over 100 individuals not previously mentioned in Epstein's email files.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — US |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/19/jeffrey-epstein-files-data-sleuths-archives |
| Publication time | Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:02 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-19T12:14:57.521Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-19T12:14:57.521Z |
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Jeffrey Epstein in a photo released by the Department of Justice. Photograph: Department of JusticeView image in fullscreenJeffrey Epstein in a photo released by the Department of Justice. Photograph: Department of JusticeJeffrey EpsteinWhy data sleuths are archiving the Jeffrey Epstein files: ‘We want to provide some clarity’Tommy Carstensen oversees one of the most sophisticated archives of Epstein materials, while Tristan Lee’s database allows searches of faces who appear in the filesSean Craig Tue 19 May 2026 08.00 EDTLast modified on Tue 19 May 2026 08.02 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleBefore the US Department of Justice (DoJ) missed a legally mandated, December 2025 deadline to release unclassified files related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein, the Denmark-based data…
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