[Coda]

Originally Posted by Chloe

I don't think there is any way to code a kill switch into any code, it would be against any programmer's ethics to do that. Most likely the code is probably such a mess, no one else wants to touch it.

A kill switch isn't all that rare. It IS unethical, yes, but it's also kind of common among freelance developers. It's considered a defense against getting screwed over -- if you do work on a contract but you don't trust your employer, the kill switch gives you leverage. If they don't pay you, they don't get to keep the code. What are they going to do, sue you? They were so cheap that they wouldn't pay a developer. A lawyer is going to cost way more.

Of course, where it turns from merely unethical to actively criminal is when the developer uses it for extortion.