Ok, for a report with the possible meaning and impact as this, to have zero dates, no timeframe at all, is either very cagey or very "rush this online!". I'll assume oversight before incompetence. However, given the piece as written, these communications could have happened years ago or yesterday (hyperbole I know but ???)
Are you talking about the ArsTechnica article, or its Wall Street Journal source? (Which I can't read because of the paywall)
It has some dates in the screenshots and more accurately portrays the timeline.