TZ database version

This might be a duplicate of https://github.com/microsoft/icu/issues/120 but the entire library doesn't need to be updated in order to update timezone information, only the timezone resource files. I'm unsure how this is shipped so I could be incorrect on this.

I started creating a custom tzdb using libicu directly for use with date/tz, similar to how STL does it for std::chrono and ended up with a hard realization that the TZ database included with the version of libicu shipped on Windows is over 2 years out of date at this point, shipping with version 2021a of the IANA database.

So my question is straight forward, is this library meant to be used as a reliable TZ database for Windows?

• If not, could I be redirected on what the appropriate way to go about this on Windows is?
• If so, is it okay that the TZ data is 2 years out of date? If it's problematic, could I request the database be updated more regularly, even if the core libicu is not kept up-to-date with upstream?
• Am I even in the right place to request any of this? I feel like a lost child if I'm honest.

References:

• Raymond Chen appears to claim that the globalization team recommends not using Windows identifiers except for legacy cases.

Somewhat Related:

• https://github.com/HowardHinnant/date/issues/771#issuecomment-1399313886

Start by reviewing the related ICU issue 120 and the STL tzdb.cpp reference linked in the report. Determine how ICU timezone resource files are shipped on Windows and whether they can be updated independently of the library. Done means establishing the supported source and update process for current TZ database data.