Florida State Lawmaker Wants To Protect Digital Assets

Florida State Senator Dorothy Hukill has recently refiled a bill that would let people protect their “digital assets” after they die.  The proposed legislation would let a person designate someone to have access and control over financial and social media accounts after their passing.  During the 2015 Legislative Session the bill faced opposition from companies like Facebook. 

Concerns about privacy were one of the main reasons for opposition, but Facebook has indicated that it would not oppose the reworked bill.  Facebook currently has its own “Legacy Contact” feature that it has implemented to let users designate an executor to have limited control over their accounts after they die.  As online social media continues to become integrated into the daily fabric of society there will be more people calling for these sorts of services. 

See James Rosica, Dorothy Hukill tries again to protect ‘digital assets,’ Saint Peters Blog, October 13, 2015.