I’m sure you have given much thought about what will happen to your financial and physical assets after you die. But have you ever thought about what will happen to your social media accounts when you die? Social Media has become an essential part of our lives. Pictures, posts, and a chronological legacy reside in these accounts.
Some social media sites have specific ways of handling accounts of the deceased, while others are not real clear on the matter. Establishing a plan for your social media accounts is essential for your protection. Plus you will want clear instruction on how you want each of those accounts handled after your death.
Here are some steps you can take to protect your accounts on some of the more popular social media sites:
You can instruct Facebook in advance whether you’d like to have your account memorialized or permanently deleted.
Memorialized Accounts are a place for friends and family to share memories. The word “Remembering” will be shown next to the person’s name on their profile and no one is allowed to log into the account. In order to have your account memorialized, you need to name a legacy contact such as a friend or family member who you trust to tend to your wishes.
You can choose to have your account Permanently Deleted upon your death. Once someone notifies Facebook that you have passed away, all of your information, photos and posts will be permanently removed.
Either of these selections can be made in Facebook under Settings, then Security, and click Legacy contact.
Twitter does not allow for users to assign a legacy contact person. However, upon death, family members can report to Twitter for the deactivation of the account. They would have to provide a copy of the death certificate and any other information required by Twitter support.
Instagram allows for memorialization of accounts through their Help Center reporting page. It will require a death certificate or a screenshot of an obituary and a form to be completed. Memorialized accounts become disabled and cannot be changed in any way. Likes, followers, tags, posts and comments will remain as they were and visible to the audience they were shared with. Accounts can also be removed. There is no way to choose these options before you die.
Google allows the option of a friend or family member to gain control of your account when you die. This is set up through the Inactive Account Manager feature. Google offers several options, including granting full control to your inbox, the option to download your data and even the option to delete your account completely.
Pinterest will not give out login information of a deceased user, but will deactivate the user’s account if they receive an email with the required information including a copy of the death certificate.
It is so important to have a written plan about what you want done with your social media accounts after death. This is such an important part of your family legacy drawer. Take time today to make your preferences known!
