Digital assets, which encompass all of a person’s online profiles and information, have become an integral component in today’s world. Recently, the Florida House and Senate passed legislation to create an entirely new chapter of the Florida Statutes.
Signed into law by Florida Governor Rick Scott last week, the “Florida Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act,” gives designated individuals power to access to the digital assets of a deceased or incapacitated loved one.
Til Twitter Do Us Part
Historically, the challenge in dealing with social media accounts is that there is rarely an available web page or phone number to help families close down the accounts of loved ones. Not canceling these accounts provides scammers and hackers with an opportunity to steal someone’s identity. Leaving these accounts active may cause families and friends a great deal of emotional distress from the continuing stream of email reminders on social media. Closing down one account is hard enough, handling a multitude is a nightmare.
Digital Estate Management
A Florida company, Estate Pass, says they work with more than 1,200 online providers to streamline the frustrating process of de-activating a deceased’s social media profile and other online accounts. They contact the service providers, placing phone calls, filling out forms, sending emails and documents and answering questions. Prices for their services range from $50 -$100 depending on the number of accounts.
