# Introduction

**What is Canary?**

Canary is a trusted, secure space for journalists, activists, and everyday people to automatically release data if they’re unable to speak for themselves. \
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Think of it like a secure vault for your most critical stories, truths, or instructions. If you can’t personally unlock it, it shares access to a predetermined party automatically.

**Why We Built It**

Traditional dead man's switches require trusted intermediaries like lawyers, friends, and organizations that can be compromised, threatened, or silenced.