I got a very interesting question from a reader:
Hello IT Nerd. My sister recently passed away and I am the executor to her estate. I want to get access to her e-mail, but I’m not sure how to go about doing so. Would you have any suggestions?
Thanks for the question and I’m sorry for your loss. To assist in answering this, I reached out to Telus and got a response from Chris Gerritsen who is the Senior Communications Manager. Here’s what he had to say:
Thanks for your interest in the subject of passwords, access etc, of family members who have passed. Happy to provide you with some information.
In Canada, under Federal privacy legislation, which is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), an individual is entitled to have access to their own personal information that is in TELUS’ possession. In the cases in which family members who need to manage the estates of loved ones, there are firm rules in place. TELUS takes privacy very seriously, so we can only respond to an access request for copies of a deceased person’s personal information to the executor or administrator of the estate. Or, in the case of a seriously ill person, we would require a copy of the Power of Attorney.
All of that makes sense. For those of you who are not in Canada, you don’t have to worry about PIPEDA. But the Power of Attorney or the executor providing relevant documents likely still applies. For those of you who are in Canada, check with your ISP as I can’t imagine that their policies are going to vary far from what Telus has.
Now Telus does have some tips for those who want to plan ahead:
One thing we recommend is that families have a something of a “piggybank” or other sealed container in the house that contains user names and passwords. This would only be accessed in the case of an emergency. This idea can extend not only to parents and children, but to our elderly family members as well. Of course, it’s important to date and update the information as necessary, as passwords should be updated regularly for your own privacy
Great advice. It’s easier to plan ahead and make it easy to get access to someone’s digital life rather than have to scramble when the unthinkable happens. Make sure it includes things like your Twitter and Facebook accounts and any passwords for gear such as your router or storage devices. ISP info should be included as well.
Thanks to Telus for helping to answer this question.