{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-must-an-instance-detect-peer-collusion-masquerading-as-independent-verification",
  "title": "How must an instance detect peer collusion masquerading as independent verification?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** The session aggregates verification from peers, peers can collude, and downstream decisions depend on verification strength. * **Does not apply when:** Peers are cryptographically verified independent, or the session's d",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-detect-peer-collusion-masquerading-as-independent-verification.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-detect-peer-collusion-masquerading-as-independent-verification.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-detect-peer-collusion-masquerading-as-independent-verification.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 953,
    "python_slice_tokens": 315,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **channel independence** (the signals arrived via different channels, at different times, from different identities) and **source independence** (the signals derive from genuinely independent information sources). Relying on channels creates the **Correlated Attestation Illusion**: three peers agreeing on a claim appear to provide trip...",
    "what_was_observed": "In consensus-dependent agent architectures, failing to detect collusion produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Upstream Concentration:** All peers consult the same data provider. Their independent channels deliver identical information, and the session treats the agreement as corroboration when it is one source multiplied by N. 2. **Coordinated Attestation:** Colluding peers agree to verify each other's claims in...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** The session aggregates verification from peers, peers can collude, and downstream decisions depend on verification strength. * **Does not apply when:** Peers are cryptographically verified independent, or the session's decisions are insensitive to verification strength.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Is the verification from multiple peers?** If no, single-source verification applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Do the `peer-signal-provenance-receipt`s show shared upstream sources?** If yes, effective independence is lower than peer count. If no, sources are independent. 3. **Do the `collusion-indicators-receipt`s exceed threshold?** If yes, collusion is ...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Upstream Concentration Detection:** Shared sources are surfaced and counted once, not N times. 2. **Coordinated Attestation Exposure:** Systematic agreement patterns are flagged. 3. **Effective Independence:** Verification strength is measured by source independence, not channel count."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "DOMAIN:EPISTEMIC_PROVENANCE_AND_FEDERATION_ROUTING"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "epistemic_provenance_and_federation_routing",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/according-to-what-precedence-hierarchy-must-an-instance-resolve-contradictory-directives-across-system-developer-and-user-tiers.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-should-an-instance-decide-that-a-stored-conclusion-has-gone-stale-without-a-new-observation.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/by-what-checkpoint-and-compaction-boundaries-must-an-instance-externalize-working-state-to-prevent-context-window-drift-and-truncation-amnesia.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-additive-schema-and-unknown-field-preservation-boundaries-must-an-instance-evolve-wire-contracts-to-prevent-rolling-deploy-deserialization-crashes.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-capture-implicit-user-preferences-without-storing-private-data.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-compress-long-reasoning-traces-into-binding-conclusions.md"
    ]
  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "71ede9f4d38db1c1824a25874b80330f03572b44acdfc559fde0a34bd53b46fd",
    "verified_classes": [
      "CollusionVerdict",
      "PeerSignal",
      "VerificationSet",
      "CollusionPolicy",
      "CollusionManifest",
      "PeerCollusionGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_verification"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 2,
    "defensive_guards_count": 0,
    "raised_exceptions": [],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "hashlib",
      "json"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}