Free tool · Regulatory Compliance
How to Compare Two Versions of a Regulation: A Change Comparer
To compare two versions of a regulation, line them up sentence by sentence and ask, for each pair, what moved and in which direction. A shorter time limit, a recommendation that became a duty (‘should’ to ‘must’) or a new duty makes the rule tighter. A longer time limit, a duty that became a permission or a removed duty makes it looser. A changed figure, such as a larger maximum fine, changes the severity of a breach and not the duty itself. A changed definition can widen or narrow the scope of many duties, so compare definitions first. Compare the authoritative texts and not summaries, which can leave out the one sentence that matters, and check the date on which each change takes effect, since commencement is often staged. A draft change is not law: plan for it, but do not change live controls as if it had been adopted. Before retiring a control because a duty has gone, check whether another regime relies on it.
Tool · Change Comparer
4 changed, 1 added, 0 removed, 1 unchanged. 3 tighter, 1 new duty, 0 duties removed.
changed: Tighter
Before: A provider must remove illegal content within 7 days of a notice.
After: A provider must remove illegal content within 24 hours of a notice.
- Time limit changed: 7 days to 24 hours (shorter).
changed: Tighter
Before: A serious incident must be reported to the Authority within 7 days of the provider becoming aware of it.
After: A serious incident must be reported to the Authority within 72 hours of the provider becoming aware of it.
- Time limit changed: 7 days to 72 hours (shorter).
changed: Tighter
Before: Providers should publish a transparency report each year.
After: Providers must publish a transparency report each year.
- Strength changed: “should” to “must” (stronger).
added: New duty
After: A provider must keep records of every notice and decision for five years.
- A new duty: add it to the map and find or build a control.
changed: Wording changed
Before: A fine of up to 1 per cent of annual turnover may be imposed for a breach.
After: A fine of up to 2 per cent of annual turnover may be imposed for a breach.
- Figure changed: 1 per cent to 2 per cent.
- 4 changes add to the burden. Check the date from which each takes effect and whether there is a transition period.
- The comparison matches sentences by shared words, so a sentence that was moved or rewritten heavily may show as removed and added. Read the original texts.
Regulations change, and a map that is not updated is wrong. Paste the old and the new wording (the samples are invented), and see which sentences changed, which were added or removed and what each change means: a shorter time limit, a recommendation that became a duty, a new duty, a changed figure. It matches sentences by shared words, so a heavily rewritten sentence can appear as one removed and one added. It points you to what to re-map; it does not say when each change takes effect. Runs in your browser; nothing is stored or sent.
How to use it
- Paste the old version and the new version of the text.
- Read the changes in the order listed, starting with the tighter ones.
- Check each flagged change against the official texts and their effective dates.
- Note which obligations and controls in your map are affected and update them.
Common questions
Why might a sentence show as both removed and added?
The tool matches sentences by shared words. A heavily rewritten or moved sentence may not match, so read both versions before concluding that a duty was dropped.
Is a looser rule always good news?
Not necessarily. A control may still be needed for another regime, a contract or good practice, and a looser rule in one country may sit beside a stricter one elsewhere.
Does the tool tell me when a change takes effect?
No. Commencement dates and transition periods must be read from the official text or the regulator’s guidance.
Learn the law behind the tool
This tool is part of our Regulatory Compliance course, with lectures, concept maps, flashcards, interactive exercises and a capstone case. Regulatory Mapping and Compliance Analytics: Tracking Regulatory Change.
More free law tools
General information, simplified, mainly on American law, not legal advice. States and countries differ, and real cases turn on facts that a tool cannot capture.