Your Digital Legacy: What Happens to Your Online Accounts?

In today’s digital world, most people have numerous online accounts spanning social media, email, financial services, and entertainment platforms. These accounts form a significant part of our digital legacy, raising questions about their fate after we’re gone.

When a person dies, their digital accounts don’t automatically disappear. Instead, they often linger in cyberspace, potentially causing emotional distress for loved ones or becoming vulnerable to security breaches. Many platforms now offer options for account management after death, such as Facebook’s Legacy Contact feature or Google’s Inactive Account Manager.

Planning for your digital legacy is becoming increasingly important. This involves deciding what should happen to your online presence, from social media profiles to cloud storage accounts. Some people choose to have their accounts deleted, while others prefer to leave digital memorials for friends and family. Understanding these options and making clear plans can help protect your privacy and ease the burden on your loved ones.

Understanding Your Digital Legacy

Your digital legacy encompasses the online accounts, content, and assets you leave behind. These digital footprints persist after death and require careful management.

Defining Digital Assets and Legacy

Digital assets include social media profiles, email accounts, online photos, videos, and other content created or stored online. These form a person’s digital legacy – the virtual presence that remains after they pass away.

Social media accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can become digital memorials. Email inboxes may contain important personal and financial information. Cloud storage services often hold valuable photos and documents.

Passwords and access credentials are crucial components of one’s digital legacy. Without proper planning, loved ones may struggle to access or manage these accounts after someone’s death.

Financial digital assets like cryptocurrency wallets and online banking accounts also form part of a digital legacy. These require special consideration in estate planning.

Preparing Your Digital Estate

Proper digital estate planning involves creating an inventory of online assets, designating a trusted executor, and outlining instructions for account management. These steps help protect digital legacies and simplify account access for loved ones.

Creating an Inventory of Digital Assets

A comprehensive list of digital assets forms the foundation of a digital estate plan. This inventory should include:

• Email accounts
• Social media profiles
• Online banking and investment accounts
• Cloud storage services
• Digital media collections (music, photos, videos)
• Subscription services
• Websites and domain names
• Cryptocurrency wallets

Password managers can help organize and secure this information. Regular updates keep the inventory current as new accounts are added or old ones closed.

Designating a Digital Executor and Legacy Contacts

A digital executor manages online accounts and assets after death. This person should be tech-savvy and trustworthy. Their responsibilities include:

• Accessing digital accounts
• Closing or memorializing social media profiles
• Transferring or deleting data
• Managing online financial accounts

Many online services now offer legacy contact features. These allow users to designate someone to manage their account posthumously. Setting up legacy contacts for each applicable service adds an extra layer of protection.

Estate Planning for Online Accounts

Incorporating digital assets into a will or trust solidifies legal authority over these accounts. Key steps include:

• Listing digital assets in estate planning documents
• Providing instructions for each account (close, transfer, memorialize)
• Granting executors legal permission to access accounts
• Addressing privacy concerns and data protection

Some online services have specific policies for deceased users. Familiarizing oneself with these policies helps in crafting appropriate instructions. Legal advice can clarify complex issues surrounding digital asset inheritance and access rights.

Managing Access and Ownership

Digital assets require careful management to protect privacy and preserve value. Proper handling of account credentials and understanding asset transferability are key aspects of digital estate planning.

Securing Account Credentials and Password Management

Strong passwords are essential for protecting digital accounts. Using unique passwords for each account reduces vulnerability if one account is compromised. Password managers help generate and store complex passwords securely.

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification beyond the password. This can include biometrics, security tokens, or codes sent to a separate device.

Regular password updates and account audits help maintain security over time. Removing unused accounts and revoking unnecessary access permissions reduces potential vulnerabilities.

Determining Transferability of Digital Assets

Not all digital assets can be transferred after death. Many online services terminate accounts upon the user’s death, while others allow limited access to designated individuals.

Financial accounts, such as online banking and investment platforms, typically have established procedures for account transfer. Social media accounts often provide options for memorialization or deletion.

Digital purchases, like e-books and music, are often licensed for personal use only and cannot be transferred. However, some platforms allow family sharing options that extend access to designated individuals.

Domain names and websites can usually be transferred to heirs or designated successors. Cryptocurrency holdings require special consideration, as access depends on private keys that must be securely passed on.

Afterlife of Social Media and Online Accounts

Social media platforms and online services have policies and tools to manage accounts after a user’s death. These features aim to protect privacy and honor the deceased’s memory.

Understanding Policies of Major Online Platforms

Facebook allows users to designate a legacy contact who can manage their memorialized account. This person can post tributes, update profile pictures, and respond to friend requests. Google’s Inactive Account Manager lets users decide what happens to their data if their account becomes inactive. Users can choose to delete their account or share data with trusted contacts.

Twitter and Instagram don’t offer legacy contact options but allow verified family members to request account deactivation. LinkedIn removes profiles of deceased members upon request from family or colleagues. Yahoo generally doesn’t grant access to a deceased user’s account due to privacy concerns.

Memorializing Accounts and Handling Inactive Profiles

Facebook and Instagram offer account memorialization, turning profiles into digital tributes. Memorialized accounts have “Remembering” added to the username and prevent login attempts. Friends can still post memories and condolences on these pages.

Google’s Inactive Account Manager activates after a set period of inactivity. It can automatically notify contacts and share selected data or delete the account entirely. Some platforms automatically deactivate accounts after long periods of inactivity.

YouTube allows channel ownership transfer in certain cases. This helps preserve content created by deceased users. For most services, families need to provide a death certificate and proof of relationship to request account closure or data access.