Digital Legacy Planning
Digital Legacy Planning
As more and more of us interact online, we create a digital footprint. Every picture, every post creates a record of our lives. Your digital legacy is everything you have left behind for your family and friends to remember you by and is how you will be remembered by future generations. Digital Legacy Planning is taking steps today to make sure your story reflects your values and wishes after you’ve passed.
The first thing to do is to review your online presence. Do a Google search for your name and see the links, sites, and images that pop up. If there is anything you might not want others to see, now is the time to delete those posts or pictures. If you didn’t post a picture or video yourself, you may need to ask the website’s administrator to remove it, however, there is no guarantee they’ll do it. Keep in mind that deleting something may not actually be permanent as the data could still be saved in someone else’s cache. The best policy, of course, is not to post anything unsavory in the first place!
Next, go to each social media site for specifics on what happens to your account after you’ve passed away. You can also find out how to download and save your data periodically. Most of this information can be found within your Profiles and Settings. See www.DeadSocial.org for a great explanation on preparing for death on social media sites.
For the sites below, you have the option to do the following:
- Set up a Legacy Contact who would be in charge of memorializing your account. Your contact can add a tribute post, update your profile picture and respond to friend requests.
- Make a copy of your photos, videos, messages
- Give your password to a friend or family member
- Request that your account be deleted
- Give your password to a friend or family member
- Ask your contact to send out a message after death
- Request your archive to download tweets
- Request your account is closed in your will
- Let your account lapse and it will be deactivated after 6 months
- Back up your photos and videos
- Memorialize the account after you have passed so friends and family can share photos and memories
- Have a family member delete your account after you have passed
- Use the Inactive Account Manager to assign data to your digital executor when an account becomes inactive for a preset number of months–3 months minimum
- Give your password to a friend or family member
- Ask your contact to send out a message after death
- Request your account is closed in your will
- Export your data
You can also consider creating a video message for those you leave behind. DeadSocial.org and StoryCorps.org provide free services to collect stories so your survivors can view your message. These are typically not legal wills, however, it may be good for describing your values and relaying family history.
Lastly, include instructions in your will for plans for your social media accounts. Be sure to name a digital executor to be the one to handle your online accounts. List instructions such as whether you wish for a memorial site to be created or just deactivated. After you’ve created your social media will and named a digital executor, be sure to tell him or her they’ve been named! Give that person access to your digital legacy will and put a copy of it in a safe place.
These days, many people get notification of a person’s death through social media. Digital legacy planning will help your family and friends know what to do with your online presence and help you determine how you’ll be remembered.
