Can Data Have a Life After a Death?

Stanley P. Jaskiewicz, Law.com

Everyone who has worked with a computer, even before the arrival of the Internet, knows the sickening feeling of loss. Without warning, hours of your work suddenly vanish from the screen...

According to Cindy Cohn of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the practical solution recommended by the Army memo -- "to make explicit plans ahead of time to grant or deny access to their private e-mail accounts -- whether that involves handing passwords to a trusted friend or loved one, leaving word with their families that they would like the privacy of their e-mail respected even after death, or any number of other options" is "good advice for soldiers and their families, but it applies to everyone with an e-mail account."

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