The internet, which is the locomotive of the digital transformation experienced all over the world, has taken on a completely different identity with the social media platforms that have become popular in recent years. Platforms, where we spend a significant part of our lives, are getting stronger day by day in this golden age of the internet. So, what will happen to our social media accounts that we love to use after we die? We explained it in our article.
Will our social media accounts be closed after we die?
Facebook, which started to serve in 2004, offers users two different options to step in in such situations. In addition to memorializing their accounts, users can request permanent deletion from Facebook if they wish.
If the account is memorialized, an heir must be designated to manage your account. However, it should be noted that there are very fine details here.
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memorialized accounts
Memorialized accounts are a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after someone has passed away. Key features of memorialized accounts include:
- The person’s profile includes the phrase “In Memory” next to their name.
- Depending on the account’s privacy settings, the person’s friends may be able to share their memories on the memorialized timeline.
- Content shared by the person (e.g. photos, posts) stays on Facebook, and the audience they’re shared with can see it on Facebook.
- Memorialized profiles don’t appear in public areas such as “People You May Know” suggestions, birthday reminders, ads.
- No one can log into a memorialized account.
- No changes can be made to memorialized accounts that do not have an account heir.
- Pages with a single admin whose admin account is memorialized will be removed from Facebook if we receive a valid memorialization request.
Account heirs
The person selected to manage your account if the account is memorialized. Facebook does not require an account heir to be selected in such cases, but account successors are required for many activities, such as accepting friend requests on behalf of the memorialized account, changing the profile picture and cover photo for homage.
Deleting the account in case of death
If you want to delete your account completely after you die instead of memorializing it, you can follow the steps we have given below. In order for your account to be completely deleted, your first-degree relative will need to notify the platform of your death with official documents. In this case, all your messages, photos, posts, comments, expressions and information will be removed from Facebook immediately and permanently.
- Select Settings & Privacy and then click Settings.
- Click Memorialization Settings.
- Scroll down, click Request account deletion after death and click Delete After Death.
Instagram, which Facebook bought for $1 billion in 2012, offers the option to memorialize or permanently delete the account in case of death. However, unlike Facebook, the platform, which does not allow you to perform all these settings before you die, in addition to choosing the heir of the account, requires your first-degree relative to prove your death with official documents in order for your account to be memorialized or completely deleted.
To memorialize your account after your death, Instagram requests documents such as an obituary or newspaper article, and for the complete removal of the account, it asks for the deceased person’s birth certificate, death certificate and some documents showing that you are the legal representative of the deceased or his legacy.
In the event that a Twitter user dies, the person’s legal heir or approved first-degree family member is acted upon to deactivate the account belonging to the deceased person.
In such cases, in order to remove the account of the deceased user, first-degree family members and persons authorized to act on behalf of the person must contact the platform by filling out an online form.
After submitting the request, instructions are emailed to provide additional details such as information about the deceased, a copy of the applicant’s ID, and the deceased person’s death certificate. This information will then be reviewed by the platform and the account in question will be deleted.
YouTube – Google
YouTube, the video hosting platform that started its service in 2005, is often associated with Google accounts. That’s why Google users can use the “Inactive Account Manager” to determine what happens to their account after a period of inactivity before they die.
Inactive Account Manager is a method that users can use to share parts of their account data after a period of inactivity, to notify someone, or to determine whether the account should be deleted. In case of using this tool, your Google and YouTube account will be completely removed after you die.
If this tool is not used, after death, first-degree relatives or representatives can make a request with the necessary documents to close the account in question or to get data from the account.