Smart contracts and kill switches in the EU Data Act.
On November 27th, the European Council approved the European Data Act, which focuses on harmonizing rules regarding user data generated from a product or service. This regulation highlights the role of smart contracts in blockchains, which are transactions conditional on some event, known for their uninterrupted execution. However, the Act introduces the concept of interrupting a smart contract by mutual agreement, or a ‘kill switch’. This provides a safeguard against potential mishaps from coding errors or cyber attacks. Specific provisions regarding kill switches are elaborated on in Article 36.


