Tech Companies Have Impact on Estate Laws

Bypassing the iPhone's security features continues to be a challenge to law enforcement as well as grieving families.

While the controversy over Apple's refusal to bypass security on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone has drawn heavy media coverage, a grieving father has been making a plea to Apple to be allowed access to his dead son's phone as ABC 17 News reports in "Grieving father pleads with Apple to unlock his dead son's iPhone."

The dispute between the FBI and Apple over the San Bernardino case has apparently been resolved by the success of the FBI in bypassing the security system but Leonardo Fabbretti, who has been trying to get Apple to unlock his son Dama's iPhone for months, has not been so successful.

Dama passed away in 2015 from bone cancer. Fabbretti was able to unlock the phone by using his fingerprint. However, after the phone did a complete restart that option was no longer available. To access the information on the device a password is now needed and Fabbretti does not have it. Because of this he is unable to view the photographs of his son stored on the phone.

This is another in a long list of examples of how the policies of tech companies have an impact on estate law and grieving families. Allowing families to access digital information after a loved one passes away will continue to be an important legal battle for the foreseeable future.

Reference: ABC 17 News (April 1, 2016) "Grieving father pleads with Apple to unlock his dead son's iPhone"