Cartoon 761: Kill Switch

The American government sells high tech weapons around the world, and not just to our “allies”. They sell them to most anyone that has the money. We retain control over our high tech weapons, like sophisticated jets sold to Saudi Arabia or missiles to Taiwan. The traditional approach is through making servicing proprietary. We control the parts necessary for service and how and who can service them.

There is another approach to control that is reportedly now in use. These weapons all make use of intricate circuitry. Embedded in critical chip sets are “kill switches” that will shut them down or make them inoperable. A satellite or proximity signal is used. There are millions of transistors in a single chip. It is virtually impossible to track down if some of those transistors have been co-opted for this purpose or for spying.

There is a calculation that the military uses for components in its weapons system, “mean time to failure”. Some businesses also use this calculation in contracting for equipment. The calculation predicts how long a product should be usable before failure occurs. Businesses have gone so far as to use components in their products that guarantee a failure in a certain timeframe. This is to create obsolescence and drive consumers to pay for service or replace the product. It is a means of bringing more predictability to business profitability.

Now businesses are going the next step. They are taking a page out of the government weapons sale book. Consumer electronics is becoming more electronic based. The refrigerator, washing machine and even the coffee maker all have electronic processor circuitry. Businesses are embedding “malfunction switches” in their products. We are entering the era of “controlled obsolescence”.

Do not be surprised if your product stops working properly shortly after the warranty expires.