kill switch

• killswitch

kill switch (plural kill switches)

1. A security measure used to switch off a device in an emergency.
   • 2022 July 11, Paris Marx, “The Uber Leak Exposes the Global War on Workers”, in Tribune‎^[1]:

     The company developed a ‘kill switch’ that would remotely encrypt its computers and devices if an office was raided by authorities.

• big red button
• dead man's switch

kill switch (third-person singular simple present kill switches, present participle kill switching, simple past and past participle kill switched)

1. To switch off using a kill switch.
   • 2023 July 24, Cory Doctorow, “Autoenshittification”, in Pluralistic‎^[2]:

     Digitization supercharges financialization. It lets car-makers offer subprime auto-loans to desperate, poor people and then killswitch their cars if they miss a payment.