Many people do not think about what will happen to their social media accounts when they pass away. For this reason, they do not consider what information they should leave for their executor so that the accounts can be safely closed and all personal information secured.
If you are considering what you can do to assist those who will be responsible for your estate and closing your social media accounts, you can reference that information in our article, What Happens to your Social Media and Digital Assets When You Die. This article will help you better plan for the deactivation of several types of social media and online accounts.
However, what happens if you do not take any steps and your executor is left to handle the deactivation and closing of your accounts without your assistance? This is a significant task and as such it is important to take the steps outlined in our above article. However, if you do not prepare for what can happen to your digital accounts upon your death, these assets will still need to be handled – either deactivated, closed, or put into ‘memorialised’ mode. This is something that the executor of the estate will need to handle.
Important Information Before Beginning
Your executor will need at least some or all the following information to deactivate and/or close your social media pages.
- Your full name
- The link to your profile or your profile name and some form of identification of yours
- They will need to acquire proof of your death via the death certificate
- Something that confirms their relationship to you
- It is not likely that they will need your social security number for the closing of these types of accounts
Each social media platform is different when it comes to memorializing, deactivating, closing or deleting a deceased persons account and page(s).
Social Media Platform Requirements:
A Pinterest account will only allow a family member or the executor of your estate to close the account.
X (formally known as Twitter)
If you have an X account that can be challenging, as they will not allow anyone access to an account who does not have all of your pertinent log in information. However, if you are a family member you can get in touch directly with X support to take steps to shut down the account.
In addition to requiring the executor to have your name and your link to the account, they also require that the person attempting to shut down your account have the name of your last employer. For some more elderly persons, that information might be quite old and not known by very many people. Therefore, if you chose to keep your account open and not deactivate it yourself, it is important to ensure that your family members or executor have access to this information.
Facebook provides a couple of different options. Upon your death a Facebook account can be notated as “memorialized.” This allows the page to remain available and for individuals to leave condolence messages. Or, if you take some small steps you can designate the account be assigned a legacy contact. This allows a post to be put up indicating you have passed away. Facebook will allow an account to be deleted by a family member or the executor upon providing the proper information.
Similar to Facebook, Instagram is in the Meta family of social networks and to delete or remove this account a family member will need your name and information and a death certificate to close and/or delete the account. This is important to note as many individuals have business accounts linked to their Instagram pages and these will also need to be accounted for.
Considering the immense number of responsibilities that your closest family and/or executor has at the time of your passing, it is always best to make sure that you leave with your Last Will and Testament all of the necessary information that will make it easier for your digital footprint and social media accounts to be closed out and/or deactivated and/or deleted within a reasonable time of your passing. This is not only important to ease the burden for your family and closest friends, but also for the safety and protection of your personal information.
In the event that you find yourself in need of assistance, please contact the law offices of Owen Hodge Lawyers. At Owen Hodge, we are always happy to assist clients in understanding the full ramifications of any and all of your legal needs. Please feel free to call us at your earliest convenience to schedule a consultation at 1800 770 780.