Prerat: Everyone should have a canary page on their website that says “I’m not under a secret NDA that I can’t even mention exists” and then if you have to sign one you take down the page.
While I am not a lawyer, it appears that this concept might indeed hold some merit. A similar strategy is used by organizations focused on civil rights, known as a “warrant canary”. Essentially, it’s a method by which a communications service provider aims to implicitly inform its users that the provider has been served with a government subpoena, despite legal prohibitions on revealing the existence of the subpoena. The idea behind it is that it there are very strong protections against compelled speech, especially against compelled untrue speech (e.g. updating the canary despite having received a subpoena).
I feel like these would be more effective if standardized, dated and updated. Should we also mention gag orders? Something like this?
As of June 2024, I have signed no contracts or agreements whose existence I cannot mention.
As of June 2024, I am not under any kind of gag order whose existence I cannot mention.
Last updated June 2024. I commit to updating at least annually.
Could LessWrong itself be compelled even if the user cannot? Should we include PGP signatures or something?
The wording of that canary is perhaps less precise and less broad than you wanted it to be in many possible worlds. Given obvious possible inferences one could reasonably make from the linguistic pragmatics—and what’s left out—you are potentially passively representing a(n overly?) polarized set of possible worlds you claim to maybe live in, and may not have thought about the full ramifications of that.
Non-disclosure agreements I have signed: Around 2017 I signed an NDA when visiting the London DeepMind offices for lunch, one covering sharing any research secrets, that was required by all guests before we were allowed me access to the building. I do not believe I have ever signed another NDA (nor a non-disparagement agreement).
Does this work? Sounds like a good idea.
While I am not a lawyer, it appears that this concept might indeed hold some merit. A similar strategy is used by organizations focused on civil rights, known as a “warrant canary”. Essentially, it’s a method by which a communications service provider aims to implicitly inform its users that the provider has been served with a government subpoena, despite legal prohibitions on revealing the existence of the subpoena. The idea behind it is that it there are very strong protections against compelled speech, especially against compelled untrue speech (e.g. updating the canary despite having received a subpoena).
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) seems to believe that warrant canaries are legal.
I think it works, yes. Indeed I have a canary on my Substack About page to this effect.
I also have one on my LessWrong profile.
I also added one to my profile!
I feel like these would be more effective if standardized, dated and updated. Should we also mention gag orders? Something like this?
Could LessWrong itself be compelled even if the user cannot? Should we include PGP signatures or something?
I like the conciseness of yours, I’ve changed mine to match.
I have also added one.
The wording of that canary is perhaps less precise and less broad than you wanted it to be in many possible worlds. Given obvious possible inferences one could reasonably make from the linguistic pragmatics—and what’s left out—you are potentially passively representing a(n overly?) polarized set of possible worlds you claim to maybe live in, and may not have thought about the full ramifications of that.
That’s fair that mine’s not that precise. I’ve copied Habryka’s one instead. (My old one is in a footnote for posterity[1].)
Non-disclosure agreements I have signed: Around 2017 I signed an NDA when visiting the London DeepMind offices for lunch, one covering sharing any research secrets, that was required by all guests before we were allowed me access to the building. I do not believe I have ever signed another NDA (nor a non-disparagement agreement).