Inherit the Cloud: Who gets your Google Docs when you die? | Hacker News Reader

Inherit the Cloud: Who gets your Google Docs when you die?

notes.kateva.org

33 pointschmars13 comments

You could just put all your passwords into a place where they are accessible after your death and your relatives can access your accounts regardless of any TOS you've clicked through.

Except where the TOS forbid giving credentials to other people?

If more services implement the "account freeze" policy of Facebook, this might become hard to accomplish as well.

What is the worst that could happen?

They close your account?

or just the password to your email. Then they can use the 'forgot password' to get a new one.

Some sites require you to state a username, but if you're anything like me, you've used less than half a dozen. Even my bank is happy to assume that access to my email is sufficient to prove identity.

For internet banking? Please tell me which bank it is so that I can avoid it.

I, for once, would also like to receive this information - purely for educational purpose.

not for internet banking. but my bank is happy to take intructions by email (for the business account anyway). I also receive my bank statements by email - complete with name, address, account no etc. all in a plaintext pdf.

But it seems most people - even supposed techies - are happy to equate email verification as identity verification. I'd be surprised if you couldn't get into most accounts just with an email address you can send from.

In my home country at least, the inheritance law follows the principle of universal succession. Definition vom Merriam-Webster:

Succession under Roman or civil law to the totality of a man's estate including both his rights and liabilities according to the principle that the heir is the same person as the deceased.

With regard to accounts, it means that all your personal accounts become your heirs' accounts upon death. Enforceability in the US where most online servies are located these days remains an open question though …

Personally, I have deposited my most important user credentials as print outs in sealed envelopes with two persons I trust. In addition, I have listed them in my will as executors for my digital estate. Working access to accounts is IMHO more important than ToS etc.

Charlie Brooker's latest 'Black Mirror' episode touches on a similar subject in a dramatised fashion and it's quite an interesting/thoughtful watch. UK users can catch it on 4OD, it's called 'Be Right Back'.

Aaron Swartz provided a solid example for you to follow. Publicly have a continuity document that lays out what is to happen with your digital assets when you are dead or otherwise unable to maintain them yourself. Your trust should have all this information as well, but to have it publicly may discourage individuals from going against your wishes.

My suggestion: Get a familial domain and use something like Google Apps for Domains (though you have to pay for it now). In this case, there is someone with admin/root level access to the accounts. There's still an issue if the admin passes on, but you could always have two people with admin access.

I've been wondering this for a while now, regarding splitting assets up if one gets divorced. (N.B.: I'm hoping this won't happen to me!) Me and my wife share an iTunes account and some purchases are solely for me, some for her, and some we both use.

This highlights why the right to make a backup of your data is so important.

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