PORTLAND, Ore. 鈥 One program distributes laptops in rural Iowa. Another helped people get back online after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones in western North Carolina. Programs in Oregon and rural Alabama teach older people, including some who have never touched a computer, how to navigate in an increasingly digital world.
It all came crashing down this month when President Donald Trump 鈥斅爋n his own digital platform, Truth Social 鈥 announced his intention to end the Digital Equity Act, a federal grant program meant to help bridge the digital divide. He branded it as 鈥淩ACIST and ILLEGAL鈥 and said it amounts to 鈥渨oke聽handouts based on race.鈥 He said it was an 鈥淚LLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway," though the program was actually funded with $2.75 billion.
Jeremy Gomez of Free Geek speaks during a keyboard basics class May 15 in Portland, Ore.
The name seemed innocuous enough when the program was approved by Congress in 2021 as part of a $65 billion investment meant to bring internet access to every home and business in the United States. The broadband program itself was a key component of the $1 trillion infrastructure law pushed through by the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.
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Rugaya Ismail, center, is reflected in a computer screen during a keyboard basics class offered by Free Geek on May 15 in Portland, Ore.
The Digital Equity Act was聽intended to fill gaps and cover unmet needs that surfaced during the massive broadband rollout. It gave states and tribes flexibility to deliver high-speed internet access to families that could not afford it, computers to kids who did not have them, telehealth access to older adults in rural areas, and training and job skills to veterans.
Whether Trump has the legal authority to end the program is unknown. But for now the Republican administration can simply stop spending the money.
鈥淚 just felt my heart break for what we were finally, finally in this country, going to address, the digital divide," said Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a nonprofit that was awarded 鈥 but has not received 鈥 a $25.7 million grant to work with groups across the country to help provide access to technology. 鈥淭he digital divide is not just physical access to the internet, it is being able to use that to do what you need to do.鈥
While the name of the program likely got it targeted 鈥 the Trump administration has been aggressively scrubbing the government of programs that promote diversity, equity or inclusion 鈥 the Digital Equity Act was supposed to be broader in scope.
John Castro looks at his computer during a keyboard basics class offered by Free Geek in Portland, Ore.聽
Though Trump called it racist, the words 鈥渞ace鈥 or 鈥渞acial鈥 appear just twice in the law鈥檚 text: once, alongside 鈥渃olor, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability,鈥 in a passage stating that no groups should be excluded from funding, and later, in a list of covered populations, along with older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, English learners, people with low literacy levels and rural Americans.
鈥淒igital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,鈥 said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the act's chief proponent, in a statement. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have 鈥 like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework.
"It is insane 鈥 absolutely nuts 鈥 that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hot spots or laptops, all because he doesn鈥檛 like the word equity!鈥
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which administers the program, declined to comment. It鈥檚 not entirely clear how much of the $2.75 billion has been awarded, though last March the NTIA announced the allocation of $811 million to states, territories and tribes.
On a recent morning in Portland, Oregon, Brandon Dorn was among those taking a keyboard basics class offered by Free Geek, a nonprofit that provides free courses to help people learn to use computers. The class was offered at a low-income housing building to make it accessible for residents.
Free Geek employee Ashley Martinez points to the screen while helping John Castro during a keyboard basics class offered by Free Geek on May 15 in Portland, Ore.
Dorn and the others were given laptops and shown the different functions of keys: control, shift and caps lock, how to copy and paste. They played a typing game that taught finger and key placement on a color-coded keyboard.
Dorn, 63, said the classes helped because 鈥渋n this day and age, everything has to go through the computer.鈥 He said it helped him feel more confident and less dependent on his children or grandchildren to do things such as making appointments online.
鈥淔olks my age, we didn鈥檛 get this luxury because we were too busy working, raising the family,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o this is a great way to help us help ourselves.鈥
Juan Muro, Free Geek鈥檚 executive director, said participants get the tools and skills they need to access things like online banking, job applications, online education programs and telehealth. He said Trump's move to end funding has put nonprofits such as Free Geek in a precarious position, forcing them to make up the difference through their own fundraising and 鈥渂eg for money to just provide individuals with essential stuff."
Sara Nichols works for the Land of Sky Regional Council, a multicounty planning and development organization in western North Carolina. On the Friday before Trump鈥檚 inauguration in January, the organization received notice that it was approved for a grant. But like other groups The Associated Press contacted, it has not seen any money.
Land of Sky had spent a lot of resources helping people recover from last year's storms. The award notice, Nichols said, came as 鈥渋ncredible news.鈥
鈥淏ut between this and the state losing, getting their letters terminated, we feel just like stuck. What are we going to do? How are we going to move forward? How are we going to let our communities continue to fall behind?鈥
More than one-fifth of Americans do not have broadband internet access at home, according to the Pew Research Center. In rural communities, the number jumps to 27 percent.
What happens to your passwords when you die?
What happens to your passwords when you die?
You already know . Personal assets like homes, cars, jewelry, and other physical items need a place to go after you're gone.
But what about your digital assets?
Phone and computer passwords, crypto wallets, investment portfolios, mobile banking passcodes, and even credentials also need a place to go when you die. In a lot of cases, these accounts may be even more important than some physical assets, and unless you're using a , these key details are likely scattered across devices, your brain, or even handwritten notes around your home.
But how many people actually have a plan for their digital assets?
Our team at surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults on the topic and found out how prepared Americans are to pass on their digital inheritances, how many people have even considered it, and even how much value Americans are leaving unprotected in the worst-case scenarios.聽
Key Findings
- 67% of surveyed internet users have a plan in place to share login or password information for their banking accounts in the event they pass away, but not necessarily in a formal will.
- Of the 65% of people who had a will, only 24% included any online account information.聽
- Only 30% of people in relationships who were surveyed say their partner could easily access their online accounts in the event they passed away.聽
- 50% of married people have money in online accounts their spouse doesn't know about. The median value of these accounts is $8,000.
What digital assets do internet users make arrangements for?聽
Almost everyone understands the need to dictate where their belongings will go once they're gone. Social media has been around long enough for us to see how a page is archived when a person dies, but how many people have accounted for other tech assets?
Our research shows around 1 in 3 of surveyed respondents have no plans at all.
Gaps remain in digital asset protection
Banking accounts and apps are the highest on the list, with 67% of respondents making arrangements to pass those on. Considering most adults understand the need for while they're using their accounts, it still means 1 in 3 respondents are leaving their financial info unspoken for.聽
57% of respondents planned to pass on credentials for bills or utilities. This is especially important for couples or people who share the same living space who would have to deal with red tape just to make sure the electricity stays on or they aren't locked out of the Wi-Fi, while also dealing with their loss. For those under the same roof, some allow multiple logins that share access to key details in the event the primary account holder isn't able to access needed info.聽
Personal websites and business accounts were also low, with just 35% and 31% of respondents having made plans for these assets, respectively. Blogs and merchant websites have the potential to generate a ton of revenue and should be treated the same as a physical business.聽
Finally, digital estate accounts like email, phone, computer passwords, and even social media accounts should all be left with an heir in mind. All of these accounts will be necessary to . The fact that 61% or less of the people surveyed have a plan for these could leave many grieving families in the lurch.
How people store digital assets
While the vast majority of people have digital assets, we asked how the passwords tend to be stored. Respondents could select multiple options.
A whopping 39% of people store their digital information in their heads. That tells us two things:
- Almost 40% of Americans have no way of sharing important information in case of emergency or incapacitation.
- 39% of people are likely using very simple, hackable passwords because they're easy to remember.聽
Obituaries are public, and there's nothing stopping a hacker from taking advantage of the deceased through schemes. The need for keeping passwords safe is especially important for seniors, who already have an increased likelihood of being targeted by identity thieves. In these cases, setting up an easy-to-use could be the difference between preventing loss and allowing bad actors to take advantage of a tragic situation.聽
Though it's good to see that the majority of people are storing at least some of their passwords digitally, it's important to understand if they're simply using their browser's autofill feature, on a device, or actually subscribed to a highly encrypted password manager. With more and more people opting into device-specific methods to store passwords like the new app on the iPhone, it's important to share access to this information in the event someone can't access your device. Apple Passwords has the built-in ability to share all or a portion of your passwords with family members.聽
On top of having extra security, some of the have a digital heir feature, which means your information can be automatically sent to your designated contact without them having to wait for wills, probates, or any other legal process to execute.
Who we share accounts with
42% of people share login credentials with a spouse, while only 13% have shared with a parent and 8% with a friend. Considering all the singles and roommate situations out there, this low number means that the majority of non-married people haven't planned ahead.
Even more concerning, 34% of people haven't shared their digital assets with anyone. The future of these accounts and all the assets held within them are jeopardized if there's no plan for them after you're gone.聽
Even if there isn't a single person you want to share your data with right now, another option is sharing them with an attorney or estate executor, but only 3% of respondents say they'd actually done that.聽
Depending on the state, (but not long-term partners) and children. If no heirs are identified by the state, the government can actually take everything you own. This is why designating what goes where and to whom is such an important step to take.
Where there's a will, there should be online account information
Only 24% of respondents mentioned their online accounts in a will.
While 41% had a will but didn't mention online accounts, 35% didn't have anything. With 3 in 4 Americans who took the survey, not having any designation as to where their digital inheritance will pass, we're wondering what accounts may likely disappear or live untouched.
Leaving behind a mess
Most people's closest confidants are their significant others, so we asked people in relationships how easy they've made it for their partners to access their accounts.聽
46% of people surveyed said that their loved one would be able to figure it out eventually. Remember, however, that grief works differently for everyone, and spending a week or two hunting for the bank password could leave someone financially strapped while also dealing with funeral plans, costs, and the emotional toll of it all.
For the 24% of respondents who said it would be somewhat or very difficult for heirs to access accounts, loved ones will likely have to deal with tech companies or corporations and go through mountains of red tape to recover that information. Remember that for some passwords that require , your loved ones would also need access to the or text and email accounts receiving authentication passcodes. Likewise, if you're using any type of like Face ID or fingerprint access on your devices, you'll need a backup in the event someone needs to access your device.
What gets left behind?
Do you have an account with funds that your loved ones aren't aware of at all?聽
Are you into ? What about online games where you win real money? Do you dabble in crypto or online investment accounts? What would happen to all of those if you suddenly stopped logging in?聽
When asked, exactly half (50%) of respondents said they had accounts of monetary value that their partners didn't know about.聽
Respondents had a median value of $8,000 in online assets that would either get lost or delayed on its way to their heirs. In fact, there's a good chance those funds would never see their intended recipients. That's more than just a chunk of change!
Making plans to remember your legacy
Digital legacy planning isn't as difficult as you might think. Apple iCloud keychain users have the ability to designate an heir directly from their phones, while many password managers provide legacy contact or digital will features.聽
The cost of digital planning tools like password managers is significantly lower than traditional estate planning, so you won't need to worry about incurring a large bill to protect your loved ones. All it takes is a little time and organization to provide your heirs with this essential plan.聽
Methodology
All About Cookies surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults above the age of 18. Responses were collected in May 2024.
was produced by and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
