中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
People who want to lodge their wills with their lawyers now have an alternative - a website offering a digital "safety deposit box".
The Online Last Will website, launched on Wednesday, has been developed by the Beijing Jialitanxia IT Co.
For 29 yuan, clients can get the safety box for life, where they can store not only their wills, but files and information they want kept secret until their death. The information in the safety box will be released to a person nominated by the holder only when he or she dies.
Luo Hao, operations manager of the website, said a fund will be established after the website has 2 million users or receives some donations to ensure that the website will continue to run even if the company runs into financial difficulties. Luo said the website will use 128-bit encryption, an advanced network security system that many banks have adopted.
However, legal experts say lodging personal information on such websites may be dangerous. Yu Dehua, a lawyer from Beijing Zhongzhou Law office, said: "Digital copies of a last will do not have any legal effect and may cause misunderstanding and dispute."
More than 3.2 million people die of unnatural causes in China every year, the website said. It also said more than 146,000 people have signed up as members.
Zhang Qingfan, 33, a housewife, said on the website that she had deposited a message for her son in case she did not have a chance to tell him personally. "This is something I still don't know whether to tell my son," she said.
Some people doubt the reliability and security of the website.
Zhao Yu, a 27-year-old accountant, said: "It's just a private company. Who will supervise its operations? How could I trust it and pass on information that I do not even want to share with my family?"
In the UK in 2007, a similar website called Last Message Club was formed, which is mainly used by people to store messages that they want read only after their death.
（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
