The exact statement
Read the events it covers and the period it describes. A claim about one category of request says nothing about categories outside that wording.
A statement you can verify.
A warrant canary is a recurring statement about a defined set of circumstances. Its wording, publication dates and signing key matter as much as its presence on a website. Here is how to inspect the evidence and understand its limits.
The SilentVPS record
No signed SilentVPS canary, public signing key or update schedule is displayed here. This page explains the mechanism; it does not assert that the operator has received no legal demands, or that a particular statement remains valid.
Four elements to inspect
The dates
Compare the signing date, covered period and expected next update. A document can remain authentic while becoming out of date.
The signing key
Compare the full fingerprint with a source you already trust. Importing a key attached to the same statement does not independently establish who controls it.
The history
Compare previous versions for changes in scope, wording or signing key. An explanation and a preserved archive help readers understand a change.
Check a detached signature
When an authentic public key, statement and detached signature are available, use an established OpenPGP tool to verify them. Confirm the key fingerprint through a trusted channel, import the key, then verify the signature against the exact statement file.
A generic example follows. These filenames illustrate the verification steps; they are not SilentVPS downloads. Check the signer's identity and fingerprint as well as the verification result.
Terminal
gpg --show-keys --with-fingerprint public-key.asc
gpg --import public-key.asc
gpg --verify statement.txt.asc statement.txtWhat a canary cannot establish
A missing or changed update can warrant closer examination, but it is not conclusive evidence of a secret order. Administrative delays, changes of publication practice or other circumstances can also alter a canary. The Electronic Frontier Foundation documents these interpretation problems in its Canary Watch review.
A valid signature establishes a cryptographic relationship between the signed material and a key. It does not establish the truth of every operational claim, rule out undisclosed events or audit the server infrastructure. Read a canary alongside transparency reports and the applicable data-handling information.
Questions, answered
Is the text on this page itself a signed canary?+
No. It explains how a canary works. No signed SilentVPS statement, key fingerprint or update cadence is presented as evidence.
Does a valid signature prove that a statement is current?+
No. Check the stated dates and publication schedule separately. Signature verification and timeliness are different checks.
Does an absent update prove a particular event happened?+
No. The absence is an observation that needs context. It cannot by itself identify a cause or establish the existence of a legal demand.