Dead man's switch

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Concept.png Dead man's switch Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
A system designed to operate if a human is incapacitated.

A dead man's switch is a mechanism to activate automatically if the operator is incapacitated.

The standard usage example is to prevent a machine from causing (further) harm.[1] Converse examples are designed to cause harm in the lack of human intervention, for example by firing off nuclear missiles automatically if a country's leaders are incapacitated.[2]

In another form it can mean that certain information will be released in case of harm or unnatural death. Among other things, this is likely something that would be considered in case somebody is in the possession of very sensitive information which has the potential to be considered a threat to national security, like video recording of pedophilia acted out by people in influential positions, such as politicians who are heads of states.

“I've collected files on corruption in governments. For the first time, I'm naming names and specifics. I'll begin with a corrupt CIA agent and two Bahamian officials. Coming today. If I'm arrested or disappear, 31+ terrabytes [sic.] of incriminating data will be released to the press.”
John McAfee (9 June 2019)  [3]


 

Related Quotation

PageQuoteAuthorDate
Dead man's switch“I've collected files on corruption in governments. For the first time, I'm naming names and specifics. I'll begin with a corrupt CIA agent and two Bahamian officials. Coming today. If I'm arrested or disappear, 31+ terrabytes [sic.] of incriminating data will be released to the press.”John McAfee9 June 2019
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