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Article updated: 3/1/2013 3:42 PM

In death, Facebook photos could fade away forever

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Karen Williams, who battled Facebook over the right to view her deceased son Loren's Facebook page, has been urging lawmakers for years to do something to prevent others from losing photos, messages and other memories that otherwise could be accessed at the click of a mouse. This year the Oregon Legislature took up the cause, only to be turned back by pressure from the tech industry, which says they must abide by a 1986 federal law that prevents them from sharing such information.

Associated Press

A printout of the Facebook page for Loren Williams, now deceased, at his mother's home in Beaverton, Ore.

Associated Press

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A grieving Oregon mother who battled Facebook for full access to her deceased son’s account has been pushing for years for something that would prevent others from losing photos, messages and other memories — as she did. “Everybody’s going to face this kind of a situation at some point in their lives,” says Karen Williams, whose 22-year-old son died in a 2005 motorcycle accident. Lobbyists agree the Stored Communications Act is woefully out of date but say that until it’s changed, laws passed at the state level could be unconstitutional.