Have you ever wondered what happens to your social networks when you die? There is a real fear that someone will get into the accounts and find out some of our secrets or use the information in the wrong way. But don’t worry, because although that did happen in years past, there are now many options to secure your posthumous digital wishes.
Technology has opened doors for organizations responsible for social networks and has allowed the development Applications that will allow you to organize your affairs before leaving.
When the biggest platform of social media realized that its users were beginning to die – according to data revealed by the page, around 30 million people with a Facebook account have died in the last 10 years – they decided to take action on the matter. Now they have various options so that each person can make the decision that suits them best.
One of the things you can do is notify the page that, in the event of your death, your profile will be converted into a commemorative one. To achieve this you must activate the option in your preference and if you die, one of your friends or relatives must notify Facebook so that it eventually changes its configuration. This option allows your friends to continue posting on your profile which becomes a wall of celebration of your life.
You can also indicate that in case of death, your account is permanently deleted. For this you will need a legacy contact or someone who can prove that they have access to all your stuff legally. It’s an important mission, so think hard about who might make a good Legacy contact.
It is important to note that if the legal requirements for the legacy person to be responsible for the account or to close the account are not met, the account will remain open.
Instagram has a similar policy to Facebook because you can also “memorize” your account. To do so, a relative of yours or your legal representative has to report to the company of your death and make the request to convert your profile into an “in memoriam”. They can also request that the account be closed. The request will be valid if they present the relevant documentation that includes a birth certificate, death certificate and proof that the person making the request is the legal representative of the deceased person.
We have good news, because Twitter has a very strict policy regarding the death of its users: no one can enter an account after its founder has died – of course, as long as no one has the passwords for it available.
The only thing you can do is request that the profile be closed, but only a direct family member of the owner can do it by presenting a copy of an ID and a copy of the death certificate. So if you want your footprint on Twitter to be erased after your death, we recommend that you leave it said so that your relatives can act when necessary.
Emails
Almost all companies respect the user a lot and it is difficult to obtain the contents of the same –more if it is a mail company like Gmail-. You can cross off the option in your settings so that no one gets that information. On the other hand, you can let someone manage your account after your death or your family or legal representative can request access.
What do you think of these platforms? Would you use any of these options when the time comes to leave Earth?