London - An increasing number of people are writing an extra will designed to tie up their affairs on the internet.
In a sign of our reliance on the web, the so-called cyberwills might instruct executors to close down accounts on social networking sites such as Twitter, delete embarrassing emails or photos on Facebook, or hand down passwords for online banking or financial accounts to named beneficiaries.
A number of companies are now offering a digital will service.
The firms store someone’s internet passwords and other information on a secure online server, which named “guardians” can access once the person has passed away. One firm, Cirrus Legacy, charges up to £150 (about R2 000) for a cyberwill package.
Founder Paul Golding said people are “moving away from the traditional filing cabinet – some people have even chosen to upload scans of critical documents such as house deeds.”
According to online storage firm Rackspace, more than one in ten have made some provision to hand down passwords or other information in their wills or planned to.
In the report, solicitor Steven Thorpe said: “A very real danger is that the valuable contents of private accounts will simply be lost upon the owner’s death.” - Daily Mail