Since 2016, Transparentem has documented labor and environmental abuses across multiple investigations in several South and Southeast Asian countries. These findings show the pervasiveness of ongoing social and environmental compliance issues in the global apparel industry and the need to address them systemically, not just at the factory level.

In recognizing the need to contextualize and confront compliance issues as systemic, global problems, Transparentem published a report on audit deception in October 2021. This report, titled Hidden Harm, documented evidence of efforts to deceive social auditors about labor abuses at numerous garment factories that Transparentem investigated in Malaysia, Myanmar, and India. The report provides recommendations for improving auditing practices to detect and avoid deception, and to enhance worker agency in improving workplace conditions.

By analyzing its findings across investigations, alongside research by peer organizations, Transparentem intends to extend its advocacy on behalf of workers beyond individual workplaces, raising awareness about systemic issues not limited to a single country or region, and catalyzing worker-focused improvements across the apparel industry.