Isn't it? A dead man's switch is a device that triggers an automatic action upon your death. Information and instructions given to a lawyer fits that definition.
Assuming the instructions are in the form of: if you don't hear from me once in some time period, then release the info. If instead they are instructed to release info when they confirm my death, then you could just be made to disappear and death could never be confirmed.
> ... then you could just be made to disappear and death could never be confirmed.
I don't know how it works in the US but there are definitely countries where after x years of disappearance you are legally declared death. And, yes, some people who are still alive and, say, left the EU for some country in South America, are still alive. Which is not my point. My point is that for inheritance purposes etc. there are countries who'll declared you death if you don't give any sign of life for x years.
I see. I guess I think of it as something that triggers automatically if you don’t reset it every day and doesn’t rely on another person. For example, a script that publishes the information if you don’t input the password every day.
And then it's published if you experience a temporary power outage. If it's important that it's only released if you're actually dead, putting it in the hands of a person is your only real option.
