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What Happens to Social Media Accounts After We Die?

Writer's picture: Jessica DawkinsJessica Dawkins

Another End of Life Consideration for the Modern World: Preparations We Have to Make to Preserve (or End) our Social Media Legacy.




By now, we can all agree that social media has been around long enough that every platform has a protocol for users who have died. Legacy profiles honor those who have passed, and pages can be preserved long after our lives end. Guidelines are established by app, but they could always change based on regulations, laws, and the state of technology and society.


TikTok is in the news for its ban and reinstatement. Changes like this can also affect social media accounts after death. These days, social media account protocol for the afterlife can be nearly as important as a person’s last wishes. How can you ensure your accounts are forever secure, deleted, or kept in legacy by a loved one? The answer always lies in preparing for social media security before death. Working with an end-of-life doula focused on all facets of end-of-life needs, including modern needs like technology, can help people of all ages prepare for the inevitable.


When Did Memorial Accounts and Social Media Legacies First Become a "Thing"?


The concept of memorialized accounts for deceased individuals on social media platforms started gaining traction in the late 2000s and early 2010s. As a budding Creative Writing instructor, copywriter, and social media manager at this time, the first one I remember hearing about was Facebook. In 2009, Facebook was one of the first major platforms to introduce a way to memorialize accounts. They created the option for accounts of deceased users to be converted into memorialized accounts. This allowed friends and family to visit the profile to remember the deceased while protecting their privacy.


Twitter (now X) introduced a policy in 2010 to allow family members or authorized individuals to request the deactivation of a deceased person's account. Although not memorialized accounts, this process was an early acknowledgment of the need to handle accounts for the deceased.


Google joined these apps in 2013, launching its "Inactive Account Manager" tool, which allowed users to set up a plan for their data after a period of inactivity. This included options to share data with trusted contacts or have the account deleted.


Following its acquisition by Facebook, Instagram introduced in 2014 a similar memorialization feature for accounts of deceased users. LinkedIn began offering an option for family members in 2015 to request the removal of a deceased user’s account.


These initiatives reflected the growing realization among tech companies of the importance of managing digital legacies as social media became a central part of people’s lives.


What Should I Know About My Digital or Social Media Legacy Before I Speak to a Doula?


You can create a plan for memorialization on all of your social media apps, including designating a trusted legacy contact and backing up important data to ensure it's secure no matter what happens. An end of life doula and social media expert (like me) can advise you on password management now and in the future.


You can be proactive by pinning important posts, organizing content in a way that serves you, and deleting content you find irrelevant. Consider how you'll ask or inform trusted contacts of their memorization and legacy duties. A doula can help with this, too. If you have significant social media assets or a large family, you may also want to consider documenting who you appoint to operate your digital legacy. Review privacy settings regularly to ensure they suit you now and at end of life.


Finally, consider the opportunity that memorial platforms provide, including the abiltity to send your loved ones time-released messages.


Empowered Pathways for Modern End of Life Needs. Face-to-Face Appointments and Virtual Sessions Available.


I am a certified end-of-life Doula and have been a professional social media consultant for over a decade. From consults and tutorials to account reviews, I can audit your social media profiles to help you create a plan for keeping your digital identity and assets secure.


 

Questions about social media legacies or another end of life need? Contact me or email support@empoweredeol.com to get started.

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