Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to answer 10459, whether she has had discussions with technology companies on bereaved adult partners accessing data on the deceased's devices.

This is a complex issue that engages a range of policy areas across Government, including intestacy and probate, intellectual property rights and privacy. The Property (Digital Assets etc) Act 2025 clarifies that certain digital assets can attract personal property rights under English and Welsh, and Northern Irish law.

My officials have met technology companies in the past to discuss the issue. Some digital services have added functionality that allow users to nominate legacy contacts, enabling them to make certain account changes and, where selected by the user, access data that has been designated for sharing following the user's death.