A filing is only published once each of these steps is complete. If a step can't be completed — no archive snapshot exists, or the company's notice can't be found — that gap is stated in the filing itself rather than left implied.
Evidence-status ladder
Every candidate moves through four stages, in order: Lead — a reported change with a company, rough date, and at least one source, nothing checked yet, never shown on the live docket. Partially Verified — the current document is confirmed directly, but the previous document is still missing, or a reputable outlet did the before/after comparison directly and Redline hasn't reproduced it independently yet. Verified — both documents retrieved and compared directly, effective date and agreement scope confirmed. Published — verified and live on the docket.
Do Not Publish rule
If an official document, FAQ, or support page contradicts a candidate claim, that candidate does not advance on the strength of reporting alone — it's held and the conflict is stated plainly, the way the T-Mobile entry on the current docket is.
Discovery
Candidate changes come from routine re-checks of tracked companies' Terms and privacy policy pages, reader submissions (see Submit a Filing), and public changelog or "legal updates" pages that companies publish without a user-facing announcement.
Verification
The previous version of the document is located, usually via an archive snapshot (e.g. the Wayback Machine) or a version a reader retained. The current version is pulled directly from the company's live page. Both are read in full, not just the section believed to have changed, in case related clauses moved too.
Dating
Redline records three dates where available: the date the prior version was in effect, the date the new version took effect (from the document's own "last updated" line where present), and the date Redline verified the comparison. When a company doesn't date its own document, that absence is noted rather than guessed at.
Notice check
Redline checks whether the company sent an email, showed an in-app banner, or otherwise notified existing users, separately from simply updating the document. This becomes part of the filing — readers can see not just what changed, but whether anyone was told.
Interpretation
Only after the factual comparison is complete does Redline write a "Why It Matters" analysis. It is kept visually and structurally separate from "What Changed" so the company's actual language is never blended with Redline's read of its consequences.
Publication
A filing is only published with its full source trail attached: prior version, current version, company notice (or its absence), and archive snapshot where one exists. Filings publish twice a month, on a fixed docket, rather than as breaking news.
Source hierarchy
Sources are ranked, and a lower tier never substitutes for a missing higher one: vendor agreement or current live document, vendor support/legal page, archived version, regulatory filing, reputable reporting, then community discussion. Community discussion generates leads — it never establishes a change by itself.