A leaked watchlist compiled by Thomson Reuters has named human rights campaigners and a three-year-old girl among terrorists and criminals, according to reports.

The list was used by governments and major banks to identify "high risk" individuals and organizations, but Greenpeace and Human Rights Watch were also included.

Others on the list included people who had been charged but later cleared of terror offenses.

The list was leaked by accident on a public internet server in 2014, which a computer security researcher discovered last year.

Banks reportedly have used the list to identify groups and individuals who present a risk of money laundering in connection with illegal activity such as terrorism and organized crime.

The list may have influenced banks to deny financial services, grants and contracts to the named individuals and organizations.

Among the other listed individuals was a Dutch potato farmer.

Thomson Reuters reportedly compiled the list from publicly available information taken from media reports and extremist websites.

Greenpeace's inclusion on the list may have stemmed from its accidental damage to a coral reef, while two exonerated former detainees at Guantanamo Bay were also on the list.

Human Rights Watch reacted to being named on the list, with a spokesman saying the organization is "surprised and puzzled" to find director José Miguel Vivanco on the blacklist.

Britain's Information Commissioner's Office stated that anyone who feels they have been mistreated by inclusion on the list can contact the office to raise their concerns.

Senior vice president of Thomson Reuters David Crundwell said, "Any individual can contact us if they believe any of the information held is inaccurate," although those included on the database were not informed.