What Happens To Your Social Media Account When You Die?
When you pass away, what happens to your online presence? Each social media platform has its own rules for handling the accounts of deceased users, ranging from permanent deletion to transforming accounts into memorials. It's crucial to understand these policies to manage digital assets responsibly and honor your preferences. After all, our social media profiles reflect our personalities, interests, and memories, deserving careful consideration.
Social Media Platform Policies
Let's explore the specific options provided by major social media platforms and what you can do to ensure your wishes are respected:
Facebook: Facebook offers two choices for accounts of deceased users. You can either close the account permanently or convert it into a memorial account where loved ones can share memories. Beforehand, you can designate a "Legacy Contact" to manage your memorialized account, excluding access to private message history.
Instagram: Instagram allows for account memorialization or permanent deletion. A memorialized account will display a "Remembering" label and won't appear in public spaces like the “Explore” section. Proof of death, such as a death certificate, is required for this process.
TikTok: TikTok permits family members or legal representatives to request account deactivation with proof of death. Unlike other platforms, TikTok currently doesn't offer a memorialization option; accounts are permanently deleted upon request.
X (formerly Twitter): Family members can close a deceased user’s X account by submitting proof of death. This action leads to the permanent deletion of the account, with no memorialization option available.
YouTube: Governed by Google’s policies, YouTube offers an Inactive Account Manager feature. This allows you to set instructions if your account remains inactive for a specified period, including data sharing with trusted contacts or account deletion.
LinkedIn: On LinkedIn, immediate family members or colleagues can request to remove a deceased member's profile by providing proof of death. LinkedIn doesn't offer account memorialization due to its professional networking focus.
How to Manage Your Accounts
It's important to note that accessing a deceased person's account without proper authorization poses privacy and security risks. To close or memorialize an account, family members must directly contact each service provider and provide required documentation. This process can be complex and time-consuming.
Planning Ahead with Legal Guidance
A skilled estate planning attorney can play a critical role in managing your digital legacy and ensuring your wishes are carried out:
Create a Digital Asset Plan: An attorney can help draft a comprehensive plan detailing how you want each of your online accounts managed after your death, whether they should be closed or memorialized.
Provide Legal Documentation: Your attorney can prepare necessary legal documents, such as special powers of attorney or directives in your will, to authorize your chosen executor to access and manage your digital assets.
Secure Account Information: They can advise on secure methods to store usernames, passwords, and other essential account details, ensuring accessibility to designated individuals after your passing while respecting privacy and security.
Update Your Plan: Over time, laws and platform policies may change. A knowledgeable attorney can help update your digital estate plan to remain compliant and reflective of your current wishes.
Choose a Trusted Advisor
Unlike traditional estate planning attorneys who may view your plan as a one-time transaction, a Personal Family Lawyer is committed to ongoing support. They ensure your plan evolves with you, addressing new challenges and opportunities as they arise.
How We Can Assist You
As a firm dedicated to holistic planning, we prioritize understanding your unique needs and values. Together, we’ll craft a comprehensive plan that not only protects your physical assets but also ensures your digital legacy is managed according to your wishes. Schedule a complimentary 15-minute call with our office to learn more about our approach to estate planning with care and foresight.
To learn more about how we approach estate planning from a place of heart and understanding, schedule a complimentary 15-minute call with our office.
This article is a service of Zarda Law, S.C.We do not just draft documents; we ensure you make informed decisions about life and death, for yourself and the people you love. That's why we offer a Legacy Planning Session, during which you will get financially organized and make all the best choices for the people you love. You can begin by scheduling a Legacy Planning Session and mention this article to find out how to get this $750 session at no charge.
