Access denied -- but a grieving mother is fighting for her right to log in.
Karen Williams' 22-year old son was killed in a motorcycle accident in 2005, and since then, she's been trying to retrieve the digital information from his Facebook account. His page has been kept under lock and key by the social network, according to the Associated Press.
An obscure federal law keeps it thus: the 1986 Stored Communications Act has been used by technology industry lobbyists and lawyers to ensure that companies are not compelled to share the data of deceased users, even with family members.
Williams has support in the Oregon state Legislature nonetheless. Lawmakers are moving forward with a proposal to make available the "digital assets" of the deceased, the news agency reported.
The bill was watered down from an initial form thanks to lobbying from lawyers who represent companies who own "social media accounts, from Facebook to Flickr," the AP reported.
