Internet kill switch - Definition from the Hotspot Shield Glossary

The idea of an internet kill switch has been long discussed and is based on the idea that a government or controlling party should have the ability to directly control the internet of its nation and shut it down completely if necessary.

There have been numerous legislations in the US that aim to give the government control over the internet in times of need however a definitive “Kill Switch” has never been agreed upon or legislated - The Lieberman Bill came close to achieving this in 2010 and would have given the president emergency powers over the internet, however it was dismissed. The idea of an all controlling kill switch is seen by many as a detrimental negative thing - One single person or government should not be allowed that level of control.