Families to get access to accounts of dead relatives

Emergency laws will be introduced unless technology giants give bereaved families access to their dead loved ones personal devices and social media accounts, ministers have warned.

The major web companies such as Apple and Instagram have so far resisted efforts by grieving families to have access to iphones and social media accounts, claiming the content belongs to the deceased individual.

It comes after the tragic case of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who took her own life after being exposed to self harm online. The UK government is expected to recommendthecreationof a new regulator to oversee the sector.

But a minister involved warned if tech companies do not comply on the issue of access to devices, new laws would be introduced.