Net users are startled to know what the rules governing disclosure of personal accounts say
Net users are startled to know what the rules governing disclosure of personal accounts say
Net users are thinking twice about flirting online since news broke that their families could be allowed access to their accounts after their death.
It is possible for families to claim access to mail accounts, like they do with bank accounts.
Cyber law expert Pavan Duggal said, "The family should have a valid reason to seek access, and they should prove that they are legal heirs."
A legal heir can approach a service provider, such as Hotmail or Gmail, armed with a court order, but access also depends on the service provider's disclosure policy, he told MiD DAY.
Yahoo! refuses to disclose details even if such a request is made. But it will close an account if a request comes from next of kin.
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Many browsers said it would be embarrassing for their families to discover that they had been flirting online or had received adult content in their inbox. They felt bereaved spouses gaining access to information about old love affairs may shatter them further.
But not all are afraid about the disclosure rules.
Parashuram Nikkam, systems engineer at IBM, said, "I try to be transparent in all my transactions. My mailbox is very clean and I need not worry about such issues."
It's a document
Any documentation in electronic format can be considered official, and legal document mails can be treated as legal documents, according to the IT Act of 2000.
"That's why people should be careful about their mail habits," Duggal advised. He also believes service providers will not hand over all mails to the family, but accede only to specific mail requests.
That's as it should be, believes Shridhar, systems administrator at a big software company. "Agencies should pry into accounts only if it is a matter of national security," he said.
Rajesh, who works in an IT company, is against the idea of allowing access. "It is best to protect an individual's personal information even after his death," he said.
Jawahar, a media executive, said passwords imply that data is personal, and should be viewed only by the account holder.
Email forever?
Microsoft's Hotmail removes an account if it is inactive for 270 days, while Gmail leaves the responsibility of closing the account to the next of kin.
Yahoo! refuses to supply emails to anyone after the user has died. The user's next of kin can ask for the account to be closed, but cannot gain access to it. The only exception to this rule would be if the user has specified otherwise in a will.
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