Readers weigh in on Marine father's Yahoo battle

Yesterday's story about Yahoo denying a father's request to access his deceased son's e-mail account has elicited some passionate responses. John Ellsworth of Michigan has asked Yahoo for access after his son Justin was killed by a roadside bomb in Fallujah in November.

ISPs such as America Online and Earthlink allow access after a screening process that involves proof of death and proof of relation. But Yahoo requires loved ones to go through a court process for verification. Yahoo deletes the account after 90 days, a limited window to shuffle through the judicial system.

"I cannot believe that they have to go through the courts for this," wrote one reader. "That is what identifacation (sic) is for. Also if you do not log into your Yahoo account don't they disable it and eventually delete it? Boy that would be horrendous."

Many readers sided with Yahoo's privacy policies, highlighting the blurry lines in this debate. One soldier weighed in on the issue:

"I am an Army brat and the son of a Vietnam vet, so I view things in terms of the soldiers point of view. This case involves personal privacy of the soldier, whether alive or in death. There may be personal items the soldier does not wish to share with his family, even in death. These were the terms he signed up with Yahoo when he was alive and they should be carried out, even in death. If the soldier had wished for his family to read his email, he would have shared his username/password with them."

Such a tragic death in the midst of continued violence in Iraq is tough to swallow. Families have different ways of coping and reading the e-mail of the deceased could offer insight into the person's life and serve as a memory. But should companies with strict privacy policies relent in special occasions?

John Ellsworth has received offers from lawyers to take this case to court. Some computer hackers have also contacted Ellsworth. The 90 days ends in mid-February.