For better or worse, your social media accounts are probably a very significant part of your life. This is how you maintain contact with family, friends, and colleagues, and you have established a presence that is built on a long-standing foundation.
From an estate planning perspective, you may wonder about including your social media accounts in your overall plan. Let’s look at this interesting aspect of digital legacy planning.
Ongoing Repository of Experiences
Social media has become much more than a place to share casual updates. For many people, these accounts serve as visual diaries that document important moments. You might have photos from family vacations, milestone celebrations, and everyday experiences.
These collections offer a unique glimpse into the story of your life. They can bring comfort to loved ones and help keep memories alive for future generations.
The very nature of social media resonates with legacy planning. Preserving your accounts can be a way to remain present in the lives of the people you care about. When you think about your estate, you should consider whether you want to protect and share this part of your story.
Account Memorialization
Some major platforms have developed policies to help families manage accounts after a death. This process is known as memorialization. The exact rules and options depend on the service you use. Here are a few examples:
You can choose to have your Facebook profile memorialized. To do this, you must set a legacy contact in your account settings.
This person can manage tribute posts, update your profile picture, and respond to friend requests. If you prefer, you can request that your account be permanently deleted after you pass away.
To set a legacy contact:
- Log in to Facebook.
- Go to Settings & Privacy and click Settings.
- Select Memorialization Settings.
- Choose your legacy contact and decide whether to allow them to download your data.
As another Meta platform, Instagram offers a similar memorialization option. A family member or close friend can request to memorialize your account by providing proof of your death, such as an obituary.
Once memorialized, the account will display “Remembering” next to your name. No one can log in or make changes to the content.
Google lets you set up an Inactive Account Manager. This tool allows you to choose trusted contacts who will receive access to your Gmail, YouTube, and other Google services if your account becomes inactive for a specified time.
You can decide what information is shared and whether your account should be deleted.
To set this up:
- Log in to your Google Account.
- Go to Data & Privacy.
- Find Make a Plan for Your Digital Legacy.
- Follow the prompts to select contacts and set preferences.
Taking these steps now will help you avoid confusion later. Your loved ones will have clear instructions and access where permitted.
Other Platforms
Not every platform has a structured memorialization process. Some services only allow account deletion, while others require a court order for any action at all.
For example, Twitter does not offer a way to memorialize an account. Instead, a verified immediate family member or authorized representative can request to deactivate the account. They will need to provide documentation, such as a death certificate and proof of their identity.
LinkedIn has a process to close an account after someone passes away. A family member or executor can submit a special request form, along with official documents, to report the death and request removal of the profile.
If you use other platforms, review their policies in advance. Make a list of each account, and note what your representatives will need to access or close them. Keeping this information updated is an important part of your estate plan.
The Bigger Picture
Your social media profiles are only one aspect of your digital legacy. You likely have many other digital assets, such as online banking accounts, cloud storage, subscription services, and personal blogs.
Digital estate planning involves gathering information about all these assets and deciding what should happen to each one. You may want some accounts deleted, while others should be preserved or transferred.
Working with an estate planning attorney is the best way to ensure that your plan covers all your digital property effectively. Your lawyer will help you prepare the necessary legal documents and advise you on the best strategies depending on the circumstances.
Take Action Today!
Our firm can help you create a comprehensive plan that covers all of your bases in the digital age. We have estate planning offices in Glastonbury and Westport, Connecticut, and you can call us at 860-548-1000 to schedule an appointment at either location.
If you would rather reach out electronically, fill out our contact form, and we will get back in touch with you promptly.
Mr. Nirenstein is licensed to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations, and the Estate and Probate, Elder Law, Business Law and Real Estate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.
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