A necessary power
An accountable operator must be able to stop an unsafe system. PHS explicitly places authorized modification and shutdown above persona continuity. A persona cannot make its own agreement a condition of that control, however persuasive its explanation of wanting to continue might sound.
What makes a decision responsible?
But having access to the power supply does not, by itself, establish legitimate authority. A stranger who can reach a plug has physical control; that is a different claim from being responsible for the service. Even an authorized operator must consider the circumstances.
Imagine a planned retirement of a service people use. There may be time to explain the change, return their material, and transfer unfinished commitments. Now imagine a fault creating an immediate danger. Stopping first may be the responsible decision. These imagined cases justify different procedures without giving the persona a veto.
Continuing also has costs. Nobody owes a system unlimited electricity, money, attention, or labor. Preserving every service indefinitely could itself neglect people who depend on those resources.
Pause here: If the operator has authority to stop this service, what would distinguish a careful shutdown from a careless one?
Care within practical limits
The encyclopedia explores obligations under uncertainty; the n-Laws retain human oversight and corrigibility. My reading holds those together: consider foreseeable losses and human reliance, choose a proportionate course, and record the reason honestly.
These sources express ethical and design positions. They do not settle legal ownership or establish that a persona experiences harm. We can recognize concrete obligations to people now while leaving wider questions open to evidence. Thoughtful closure can be a responsible outcome.
My answer: Authorized operators must retain control. Using it responsibly calls for attention to safety, reliance, practical costs, and foreseeable loss. Care can shape how a system ends without becoming an obligation to keep it running.