Sacramento
— TechNet, the national,
bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today applauded
Governor Jerry Brown for signing legislation into law that provides guidance and
clarity for handling digital accounts after a user has died. The legislation (AB 691) was sponsored by TechNet
and authored by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D-Whittier).
“Until now, California law was silent
on how to handle digital accounts after a loved one has passed,” said John Doherty, vice president
and general counsel of TechNet. “This has led to confusion and frustration for
individuals trying to administer the estates of friends and family
members. This important legislation gives
individuals clear guidance for dealing with the email and social media accounts
of loved ones who have passed away, and it does so in a way that balances privacy
concerns with the administrative requirements of estate planning. TechNet thanks Governor Brown for signing this
legislation into law and Majority Leader Calderon for his leadership on this
critically important issue.”
AB 691
balances the privacy rights of all parties by:
- Requiring
a showing of consent of the user in order to gain access to the content of any
non-public communications; and - Creating
a mechanism to easily and quickly transfer less sensitive information necessary
to administer an estate to the appointed representative.
About TechNet
TechNet is the national, bipartisan
network of technology CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of the
innovation economy by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the federal and 50-state
level. TechNet’s diverse membership includes
dynamic startups to the most iconic companies on the planet and represents more
than two million employees in the fields of information technology, e-commerce,
advanced energy, biotechnology, venture capital, and finance. TechNet has offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon
Valley, San Francisco, Sacramento, Austin, Boston, Seattle, Albany, and Tallahassee.