I don't think apostasy could ever be endorsed by the GB. It sounds to me as if they are building up a portfolio of
Watchtower statements as evidence to deny the accusation that they control the minds and lives of the
rank and file JWs.
When accused of being dictatorial in their dealings with
members they can now point out to the courts to a number of published statements which put the
leadership in a relaxed and easy going light not making demands about what their abject followers should do or think.
This is because the biggest threat to the cushy number they are on is under threat from extremely
expensive legal cases over their arrogant handling of paedophilia in the congregations. The point they want to make is, "Its nothing to do with us". However they do have total control over their members, if they did not their authority would decline, JWs would start to think for themselves and the org would fall apart.
Yet as the lawyers know from the ARC example, what the Org says
is not what the JWs will be expected to believe.