Publication and Corroboration

This page explains how Tessère Open Witness (TOW) determines whether submitted information remains private, enters standby, or is made publicly visible.

Single-source submissions

A single credible source may be sufficient for TOW to accept a submission and retain it internally for assessment.

Information derived from a single source is not published immediately. It typically enters a standby state.

Standby period

The standby period exists to reduce harm, avoid premature public conclusions, and allow time for corroboration or contextual clarification.

Standby commonly lasts approximately one week, but duration may vary depending on context, risk, and information quality.

Corroboration

When additional independent submissions, sources, or signals align with the same observable occurrence, the information may be considered corroborated.

Corroboration indicates internal consistency between separate reported observations. It does not establish certainty, attribution, or legal proof.

Publication decisions

An event reconstruction record may be published only when:

• at least one corroborating source exists
• publication does not create a reasonable risk of harm
• the information can be presented in a privacy-protected form

Some corroborated events may remain unpublished indefinitely where publication could reasonably cause harm, misuse, or misinterpretation.

Low-confidence publication

In limited circumstances, an event reconstruction record may be published with explicitly low confidence indicators after extended standby, when public awareness is justified and assessed risk is low.

Revision and updates

Published event reconstruction records may be updated as new corroborating information appears.

Earlier versions are retained to preserve transparency and auditability.