2019 Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXXI - Trusts and Estates of Decedents and Persons Under Disability
Chapter 472 - Probate Code — General Provisions
Section 472.470 Fiduciary, legal duties — authority over user's digital assets and property — request to terminate user's account.

Effective 28 Aug 2018

472.470. Fiduciary, legal duties — authority over user's digital assets and property — request to terminate user's account. — 1. The legal duties imposed on a fiduciary charged with managing tangible property apply to the management of digital assets, including:

(1) The duty of care;

(2) The duty of loyalty; and

(3) The duty of confidentiality.

2. A fiduciary's or designated recipient's authority with respect to a digital asset of a user:

(1) Except as otherwise provided in section 472.415, is subject to the applicable terms-of-service agreement;

(2) Is subject to other applicable law, including copyright law;

(3) In the case of a fiduciary, is limited by the scope of the fiduciary's duties; and

(4) May not be used to impersonate the user.

3. A fiduciary with authority over the property of a decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor has the right to access any digital asset in which the decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor had a right or interest and that is not held by a custodian or subject to a terms-of-service agreement.

4. A fiduciary acting within the scope of the fiduciary's duties is an authorized user of the property of the decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor for the purpose of applicable computer-fraud and unauthorized-computer-access laws, including Missouri law on unauthorized computer access.

5. A fiduciary with authority over the tangible, personal property of a decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor:

(1) Has the right to access the property and any digital asset stored in it; and

(2) Is an authorized user for the purpose of computer-fraud and unauthorized-computer-access laws, including Missouri law on unauthorized computer access.

6. A custodian may disclose information in an account to a fiduciary of the user when the information is required to terminate an account used to access digital assets licensed to the user.

7. A fiduciary of a user may request a custodian to terminate the user's account. A request for termination shall be in writing, in either physical or electronic form, and accompanied by:

(1) If the user is deceased, a certified copy of the death certificate of the user;

(2) A certified copy of the letter of testamentary or letters of administration of the representative or a certified copy of the certificate of clerk in connection with a small-estate affidavit or court order, power of attorney, or trust giving the fiduciary authority over the account; and

(3) If requested by the custodian for the purpose of identifying the correct account of the correct user:

(a) A number, username, address, or other unique subscriber or account identifier assigned by the custodian to identify the user's account;

(b) Evidence linking the account to the user; or

(c) A finding by the court that the user had a specific account with the custodian, identifiable by the information specified in paragraph (a) of this subdivision.

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(L. 2018 H.B. 1250)