The invention relates to a process for the remote deactivation of at least one decoder for accessing multimedia digital data, which is provided by a service operator. The decoder has a unique identifier (ID) known to the operator. To deactivate a decoder with determined identifier (ID), the operator sends, through a communication network linking the decoder to the operator, a destruction command for destroying all or part of the software embedded in the decoder, this destruction command being addressed to the decoder with determined identifier (ID). The invention also relates to a decoder which comprises an eraser software module suitable for erasing all or part of the software embedded in the decoder when the decoder receives a destruction command which is addressed to it.