How the Ref decides

The Ref is blind, cites its sources, and says when it isn't sure.

The Ref is the AI judge that settles claims about things that get reported publicly. It doesn't pick winners. It answers one question: did what the contract says happen, within the deadline?

What it sees

Only the contract: the question, the deadline, what counts as yes, and the source. Never names, who's on which side, how sure anyone was, comments, or who paid. It can't favour anyone because it doesn't know who anyone is.

How it works

• It looks for the official record first, then independent news coverage, then for evidence of the opposite outcome: corrections, recounts, postponements.
• It reads the contract literally. "More than 100" means 101 or more; "at least 100" includes 100. It doesn't round, and it doesn't guess what you meant.
• A second, stronger AI model reviews every verdict before you see it.

When it shows you a verdict

Rules in our code, not the AI, decide whether a verdict is shown. A yes or a no needs at least 2 independent publishers, including at least one primary or major source, and the Ref must be at least 80% sure. If anything is missing, the Ref doesn't guess: the claim comes back to you to settle together.

The full rules, the current version of the Ref, how accurate it was in our latest test, and every change we've made are on How the Ref decides.

If you think it got it wrong

You have 72 hours to appeal. A mutual friend, the witnesses or a deep check can take a second look.