By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post
It’s hard enough to lose a loved one, and today’s digital world has added so many challenges and complexities, it can be difficult to keep track. What can you do to protect social media accounts when a loved one unexpectedly dies?
Here are some steps to help navigate this process during a challenging time:
- Communicate with Family and Friends:
Before taking action regarding the deceased’s social media accounts, it’s crucial to communicate with close family members and friends. Discuss how you all would like to handle the accounts collectively, and work to come to a consensus.
- Review Platform Policies:
Different social media platforms have varying policies and procedures for handling accounts after the user has passed away. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines to understand your options. Most platforms offer options such as memorializing the account or closing it altogether.
Here’s a handy chart from VPN Mentor, it’s from 2019 but should still be fairly accurate.
- Memorialize the Account:
Many social media platforms provide options to memorialize an account, which allows it to remain visible as a tribute to the deceased while restricting some functionalities. Memorializing the account can provide friends and family with a space to share memories and condolences.
- Designate a Legacy Contact:
Planning for the future is important, and some platforms, like Facebook, allow users to designate a legacy contact who can manage their account after they pass away. This individual can accept friend requests, pin posts, and update profile pictures, offering a way to keep the account active in a controlled manner. You should notify your loved ones if you have chosen them as your legacy contact for your social media accounts, this will make things a lot easier for them to memorialize your accounts.
- Consider Privacy Settings:
Review the privacy settings of the deceased’s social media accounts to ensure that sensitive information is protected. You may choose to adjust privacy settings to limit access to personal details or restrict who can post on the profile.
- Preserve Memories:
Social media accounts can serve as digital repositories of memories and good times shared with loved ones. Consider downloading and archiving photos, videos, and posts from the deceased’s accounts to preserve these memories for future generations.
- Respect Their Wishes:
If the deceased expressed any preferences regarding their social media accounts before their death, such as specific messages to be shared or content to be deleted, do your best to honor their wishes.
- Seek Support:
Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming, especially when managing their digital legacy. Don’t hesitate to seek support from friends and family who can provide guidance and emotional assistance during this challenging time.
Nobody wants to think about these things when dealing with the loss of a loved one, but unsecured accounts can represent a tempting target and big security risk. If you don’t take actions to secure these accounts, it’s likely a scammer will. Having to deal with a deceased loved one’s hacked account would add even more stress to an already awful time, so it’s best to be aware, and to take the time to secure social media accounts. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, if you feel overwhelmed you can likely get a tech savvy friend or relative to help you.
