In today’s digital world, social media has become an integral part of our lives. We share our milestones, memories, and daily activities online, creating a digital legacy that lives on long after we’re gone. But what happens to your social media accounts when you die?
Making arrangements for your social media accounts after your passing has now become an essential part of estate planning reflecting just how much our world has been changed by technology. Some are choosing to include instructions as to what happens to their social media accounts in their wills.
Probably the simplest way of dealing with your accounts is to record the log in details and keep them within a copy of your will along with written instructions as to how you would like your digital legacy to be preserved or not as the case may be.
However, in many cases, log in details aren’t available or instructions haven’t been left so it is the decision of those left behind as to what to do. Social media channels have varying rules as to how an account can be handled once someone has passed away. For example Facebook allow an account to be memorialised. This keeps the account active so that family and friends can share memories but no one can log in. If a Legacy Contact is arranged then they do have the ability to log in to a memorialised account and deal with the likes of friend requests and messages etc. The other option is to have the account deleted.
Instagram is owned by the same company as Facebook but they do not offer the same facilities. When an Instagram account is memorialised, it simply remains as a tribute and cannot be logged into or changed.
Twitter or X as it’s now known does not offer any memorialisation options. However a family member or executor can request that the account is deactivated by providing proof of the account holder’s death.
Linked In allows a connection to report a death and the account will then be removed.
Google offers an Inactive Account tool where you can decide what happens to your account if it is left inactive for a period of time. You are also able to designate trusted contacts to be notified within the tool.
Discussing digital legacies is an important part of end of life planning and discussing your wishes with your loved ones will give you peace of mind that your digital presence will be handled in accordance with your wishes.
