As the first of the 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution, Delaware often claims the title “first.”
But now, the Washington Post reports, Delaware is leading the way in something different: Gov. Jack Markell signed legislation that lets families access the digital assets — social media accounts, email accounts, financial logins, etc. — of their deceased loved ones.
“This problem is an example of something we see all the time in our high-tech age — our laws simply haven’t kept up with advancements in technology,” Rep. Darryl Scott (D-Dover), the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement. “By signing this bill into law, we’re helping to protect the rights and interests of the average person in the face of a rapidly evolving digital world.”
A few states — Connecticut, Idaho and Indiana — grant some rights to heirs or next of kin. Most states have no digital asset laws or guidelines in place at all; people living in those states need to specifically write out who gets access to digital accounts in their wills.
A first: relatives of dead Delawareans can now access online accounts
Gov. Jack Markell signed sweeping legislation that allows family members to access the social media accounts, email and online bank information of the deceased. The law could be a model for other states.
