Who Can Access Digital Accounts After Death?
Learn how to manage digital accounts after death, the legal implications, and steps to ensure your wishes are honored for your online legacy.
Who Can Access Digital Accounts After Death?
When you pass away, your digital accounts - like email, social media, or cryptocurrency - don’t automatically disappear. Without proper planning, your loved ones may face legal and technical hurdles to access or manage these accounts. Here's what you need to know:
- Legal Access: Executors don’t automatically gain access. You must explicitly grant them permission in your will or estate plan.
- State Laws: Many states follow the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), which prioritizes your account settings (e.g., Google’s Inactive Account Manager) over wills or terms of service.
- Platform Policies: Companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook offer tools to ...