Audit Methodology & Data Provenance Standards
Platform-Review is an independent intelligence clearinghouse for online trading platforms. We do not accept paid placements, we do not erase confirmed drawdown traps for sponsors, and every factual assertion in our database is governed by a strict provenance lifecycle.
1. The Zero-Payola Editorial Guarantee
Commercial independence and conflict isolation
Many review portals in the trading sector operate as covert advertising boards, ranking the highest affiliate bidder as “#1 Best Broker” or concealing punitive trailing drawdowns to maximize conversion.
Platform-Review maintains a strict wall between data evaluation and commercial relationships:
A platform cannot purchase a higher Trap Safety Score, higher ranking, or editor recommendation.
Intraday trailing drawdowns, consistency profit caps, and payment delays are highlighted regardless of partnership status.
Every safety deduction cites explicit contractual clauses or live recorded trade execution evidence.
2. Data Provenance Classification Framework
Data in our registry is never classified as verified simply because it is published in documentation. Every platform entity and comparative attribute carries an audited provenance state:
Our research staff deposited real capital into funded challenge or broker accounts. We placed trades to observe slippage, verified spread widening during rollover/CPI, or executed withdrawal requests to measure exact settlement time on banking and crypto rails.
Data independently verified by our researchers against binding Terms of Service (ToS), registered legal corporate registries, official regulatory filings (e.g., ASIC, FCA, CySEC registers), or verified banking receipts.
Metrics recorded during live testing sessions (e.g., recorded latency pings, spread snapshots during London/New York session overlap). Observed values represent explicit historical samples, not marketing promises.
Factual events reported by vetted traders (e.g., payout receipt screenshots, account freeze notices) corroborated across at least three distinct community sources prior to formal lab reproduction.
Data stated by the platform owner (e.g., claimed 0.0 spreads, claimed “99% pass rate”, claimed instant payouts) that has not yet undergone full independent verification. Flagged prominently to warn traders.
3. The Four Core Verification Pillars
A. Drawdown Mechanics Audit
We examine whether the maximum loss threshold is Static (anchored to starting balance) or Trailing Intraday (calculated tick-by-tick based on unrealized high-water mark equity). Intraday trailing limits trigger automatic safety score penalties due to their mathematical liquidation trap characteristics.
B. Settlement Speed & Payout Rails
We differentiate between marketing promises (“Instant Payouts”) and real operational settlement. We benchmark domestic banking rails (e.g., VietQR instant settlements under 5 minutes vs multi-day wire holds) and verify whether crypto disbursements incur undisclosed internal processing fees.
C. Hidden Terms & Consistency Rules
We parse legal annexes for subjective cancellation clauses: 30%–50% single-day profit caps, mandatory lot size consistency bands, prohibited news trading windows, or latency arbitrage definitions that allow operators to void profitable payouts at discretion.
D. All-In Trading Cost Calculation
We do not rely on nominal “0.0 pip” claims. Our calculators aggregate raw spread plus round-turn commissions per lot across major FX pairs and Gold (XAU/USD), allowing scalpers and intraday traders to evaluate true round-trip friction.
4. Audit Timestamps vs Code Deployment Dates
In accordance with Platform-Review data integrity invariants, our systems maintain an explicit distinction between:
- lastCheckedAt: The calendar date our automated monitors or human analysts re-crawled public disclosures and terms.
- verifiedAt: The specific date when physical execution proof or contractual verification was established. If unverified, this field is set strictly to
null.
We never fabricate verification timestamps from git commit logs or page re-renders. If an attribute has not been verified within 90 days, its provenance is automatically downgraded.
5. Corrections & Operator Dispute Policy
We welcome corrections from both platform operators and individual traders. If any metric, rule interpretation, or fee structure published on Platform-Review is inaccurate or outdated, we commit to reviewing documented audit submissions within 48 business hours.
Submit Audit Evidence or Correction
Submissions must include signed terms, verifiable transaction hashes, or official corporate filings.