Start with the threat, not the tool

An activist may face device seizure, account takeover, surveillance, legal compulsion, retaliation or harm to associates. A dead man's switch does not neutralise those risks. It can create new ones by concentrating evidence and naming a recipient.

Define who may attack, what they want, which metadata is sensitive, how quickly harm could occur and whether disclosure would protect or endanger anyone. Obtain advice from a qualified digital-security or legal organisation familiar with the local context.

Use delayed delivery for narrow continuity tasks

A supported ZeroLatch interval can support long-horizon continuity such as an organisational contact map, recovery instructions for an authorised custodian, a description of independently stored evidence, or documentation needed to continue a project.

It is unsuitable for an immediate detention trigger, daily welfare check, rapid publication, device wipe or emergency alert. ZeroLatch does not contact emergency services, track location, publish files, revoke accounts or prove why a check-in was missed.

Minimise and compartmentalise

Create separate deliveries when different people need different information. Each delivery has one intended recipient. Do not place an entire network map, every identity and every recovery factor into a single package.

Private mode removes ZeroLatch's ability to recover the file key but transfers responsibility to the sender and recipient. Store the recovery code separately and rehearse access with synthetic files. Simple mode is lower friction but permits assisted recovery after the release checks.

Plan for compromise and service failure

Assume the recipient email, endpoint or downloaded copy could be compromised. Use independent authoritative copies, authentication procedures and explicit stop conditions. Document what the recipient should do if the message arrives unexpectedly or the service domain cannot be verified.

Review the plan whenever a participant, legal environment, threat level or campaign changes. A conditional delivery is only one layer of a broader human and organisational safety plan.