Your social media options
Don’t leave the precious memories you’ve shared on social media floating in cyberspace
Considering the emotional value of photographs, billions of us post images every day without thinking about what will happen to these very personal memories when they die.
Remember, the likes of Facebook will only know a person has died if someone tells them. If nothing is done with your profile after you die, it will remain private to you but active and vulnerable to abuse.
Most social media platforms have a policy explaining what to do when someone dies. There are also steps you can take now to choose what should happen to your profile after your death.
Here’s a brief introduction to the policies of some popular social media platforms. This is not an exhaustive list and policies can change, so always do your own research too.
What are my options?
You can decide in advance what happens to Facebook when you die. You can:
- Close your Facebook account – your profile will be permanently removed from Facebook
- Memorialise your Facebook account – your profile will be visible to your friends and family but it cannot be accessed
- Nominate a legacy contact – who will be able to manage your account and download photos, videos and posts etc. to pass on to your loved ones
If you haven’t left any instructions, once Facebook is informed of your death they will memorialise your account, unless asked to delete it.
What are my options?
An authorised person or family member can request to have your Twitter account deactivated by submitting this privacy form.
Twitter will send the requester an email explaining what details must be provided to deactivate the account, including the requester’s ID and the deceased’s death certificate.
What are my options?
A colleague, classmate, loved one or authorised person (e.g. executor) can request a LinkedIn profile is removed and the account closed by submitting this form and providing the proof required e.g. an obituary.
What are my options?
An authorised person or family member can request to have the account deactivated by sending an email to care@pinterest.com giving details including the full name, email address and a link to the deceased’s Pinterest account, as well as proof of the death and the requester’s ID.
What are my options?
An authorised person or family member can request to:
- Delete your account – your profile will be permanently removed from Instagram
- Memorialise your account – your profile will be visible to your friends and family but it cannot be accessed
What are my options?
Currently WhatsApp can’t delete an account on a person’s behalf, so someone will need access to your mobile phone in order to delete the account for you. Make sure somebody you trust knows how to unlock your phone.
Your account can be deleted in the app under “Settings” by entering the associated phone number in the full international format.
What are my options?
Google’s ‘Inactive Account Manager’ service lets you decide what happens to your account when you die. This service includes Gmail, YouTube and Google+ accounts. You can:
- Set a timeout period – after which your account can be treated as inactive
- Choose to share your data with a nominated contact – photos, emails etc
- Delete your account – your account will be permanently removed
Precious memories…
Don’t rely entirely on social media and remote ‘cloud’ storage like Dropbox or iCloud to keep your sentimental digital assets such as photos and videos safe. To be certain these precious memories don’t die with you, back them up onto an external hard drive as well. Or go traditional with your photos and put them into an album you can leave for others to enjoy.
Download our digital accounts checklist
A useful checklist to help you create a full list of your social media, email and other online accounts.
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