Name of anti-coercion notification warning system & example?
September 21, 2010 6:15 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for the name of an anti-coercion notification warning system, and an example of any businesses that still use it. Thanks.
I remember a couple websites such as private email server and usenet servers that used to run a system where they'd have a webpage some sort of "all clear" date-stamped information (e.g. a PGP signed newspaper headline of the day for the NY Times or something). This in itself meant nothing, except that (by faith alone) they had not been coerced into putting up an "all clear" for the day, and they had not been served with any subpoena to hand over server logs or customer information. The rationale was if they were served with a subpoena, they would just not put up a flag for that day and you'd know that since the last update, something was amiss. I remember there was a term for it, but it wasn't dead man's switch or something like that, and I'm also looking for any examples of businesses that still offer this service for notifying their customers that their data might be compromised. Thanks.
I remember a couple websites such as private email server and usenet servers that used to run a system where they'd have a webpage some sort of "all clear" date-stamped information (e.g. a PGP signed newspaper headline of the day for the NY Times or something). This in itself meant nothing, except that (by faith alone) they had not been coerced into putting up an "all clear" for the day, and they had not been served with any subpoena to hand over server logs or customer information. The rationale was if they were served with a subpoena, they would just not put up a flag for that day and you'd know that since the last update, something was amiss. I remember there was a term for it, but it wasn't dead man's switch or something like that, and I'm also looking for any examples of businesses that still offer this service for notifying their customers that their data might be compromised. Thanks.
MeFi's own Jessamyn did something similar for libraries.
posted by Paragon at 6:25 PM on September 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Paragon at 6:25 PM on September 21, 2010 [2 favorites]
"Warrant canary" is the only pithy name I've ever heard for it. Otherwise, people have just described the sign/notice being used.
posted by Netzapper at 6:42 PM on September 21, 2010
posted by Netzapper at 6:42 PM on September 21, 2010
Response by poster: That was the exact term and website I remember seeing the first time around. Thank you very much.
posted by unrequited at 7:14 PM on September 21, 2010
posted by unrequited at 7:14 PM on September 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ChrisHartley at 6:23 PM on September 21, 2010