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.
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