Tag Archives: e-mail

Facebook Blocks Demand for Contents of Deceased User’s Account

On September 20, 2012, Facebook obtained a court order blocking a demand to turn over the contents of a deceased user’s Facebook account. The executor of Sahar Daftary’s estate requested a subpoena to compel Facebook to turn over the decedent’s Facebook … Continue reading

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Defending Your Ownership and Privacy in Twitter (and Other Online Accounts)

If law enforcement demands the contents of your electronic communications or non–content records from your Twitter account, do you have standing to challenge the subpoena? A New York criminal court has said “no”—because you don’t have a proprietary interest in … Continue reading

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How Secure Are Your Online Account Passwords?

With announcements this month from popular Web sites LinkedIn, eHarmony, and Last.fm that a significant number of user passwords may have been compromised, it’s a good time to ask yourself, “How secure are your passwords?” It’s also a good time … Continue reading

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Wisconsin Family Struggles to Obtain Access to Deceased Son’s Facebook and Gmail Accounts

A June 1, 2012, article by Jessica Hopper posted on MSNBC’s Rock Center, describes a Wisconsin family’s attempts to gain access to their deceased son’s online accounts. As I mention in previous postings, it can be a very time–consuming, expensive, … Continue reading

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WSJ Article on Access to Online Accounts After a Business Owner Dies

There is an article by Molly Williams in today’s Wall Street Journal titled “If a Business Owner Dies, Who Can Access the Web?” The article points out that some small businesses have only one person who knows the passwords to … Continue reading

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Update on Whether It’s a Crime for Fiduciaries to Access a Decedent’s Online Accounts

I’ve written previously that using an incapacitated or deceased person’s passwords to access that person’s online accounts may not be permitted under the Web service’s Terms of Service contract, and it might even be construed as “unauthorized access” under a … Continue reading

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Planning Ahead for Access to Contents of a Decedent’s Online Accounts

February 1 was informally designated as “Change Your Password Day,” and a good collection of articles is available at Lifehacker.com about how to test the strength of your passwords, how to update your passwords with “strong” passwords, and a list … Continue reading

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Connecticut Court Requires Spouses to Reveal Online Account Passwords in Divorce Proceeding

On November 7, 2011, Kashmir Hill on Forbes.com reported that a Connecticut court ordered Stephen and Courtney Gallion, spouses in a divorce proceeding, to reveal and exchange their online account passwords, including their passwords to Facebook, eHarmony, and Match.com. According to … Continue reading

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How to Delete Online Accounts and Digital Footprints

On November 10, 2011, Jeffrey A. Lambert posted a story at Maximum PC called How to Erase Your Digital Footprint. The article describes how much information Facebook, Google, and other companies collect about your Web browsing and other Internet activities, especially … Continue reading

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IRS Chief Counsel Advises IRS Agent Not to Request Taxpayer E-Mail Contents From ISP

In IRS Chief Counsel Advice 201141017, an IRS agent tried to obtain a taxpayer’s e–mail contents from the taxpayer’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) without a warrant. The taxpayer’s ISP refused the IRS agent’s request, citing provisions of the Stored Communications … Continue reading

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