Increasing numbers of people now use social media and may have multiple accounts on different services - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat ... and more. So what happens when someone dies and their online accounts are still sitting there, visible to the world?
Here are a few facts on the situation in October 2015.
DeadSocial is a service that provides tools and advice for people wanting to manage their digital legacies and has a very informative website.
Facebook encountered pressure from users experiencing the additional loss of the deletion of their loved ones profiles, including irretrievable photos and memories. To avoid this, you can now nominate a Legacy Contact - someone you trust to look after your profile once it has been 'memorialised' by adding pre-arranged messages, accepting friend requests and other maintainance. The Legacy Contact cannot change any previous posts, read private messages or log in to the actual profile. With a memorialised account 'Remembering' is added as a prefix to their profile name; it won't show up in public searches but friends and family can still post and share photos. Facebook pages can also be closed down.
Google offers a similar service, where you can nominate a specific person to act as your 'inactive account manager' after your death.
Twitter will remove a person's account after proof of death has been received (a death certificateand proof that the person making the request is either immediate family or authorised to act) but do not allow (as of Oct. 2015) any form of access or memorialisation of an account. [This practice is common for most other online providers.]
A digital deactivation document from Saga Legal Services gives a list of the most popular websites and how to access and close accounts on behalf of a deceased relative. Co-op Funeral Care also have a useful online guide.
While not currently a legally recognised concept in UK law, you can nominate a digital executor in your will. This should ensure that a trusted person will be able to access to your accounts and deactivate them if you wish. You'll need to ensure that a list of your accounts and password details are in a safe place that your executor can access, especially as this information cannot be given to your solicitor (due to complications with the Computer Misuse Act). And never include online usernames and passwords in your will, as it could become a public document after your death.
Not comfortable with handing over your passwords? Make an effort to back up your online content as often as possible onto an external hard drive. Document what you want to happen to your accounts - you may wish your blog to stay online.
To preserve digital photos stored on cameras, laptops and photosharing sites, get physical copies of favourites printed and copy originals onto a hard drive.
Back up any music or film-based material - it is impossible to bequest your online library to anyone else as you only purchase a licence to access the resource (which terminates on your death), and not perpetual access.
Some social media users are leaving a final Tweet or facebook status in their last wishes, to be uploaded on their death.
Sources
Georgina Cronin: Living and Dying on Social Media in CILIP Update October 2015
Feature in Good Housekeeping, October 2015
