When a loved one has passed away their online presence may still have life. Below are some helpful tips on how to either manage or close a loved one's social accounts.
- You may request that the account be permanently deleted.
- You also have the option to memorialize the page. When an account is memorialized people may post messages to the page but the account is secured so that no one may sign into it.
For either option visit www.facebook.com/help then click the "Manage Your Account" link on the left. There will be an option to click "Memorialized Accounts". At that time Facebook may require proof of death and your relationship to the deceased.
- Facebook has recently added a proactive step for such situations. The option is for the addition of a "Legacy Contact". According to Facebook a legacy contact is someone you choose to look after your account if it is ever memorialized. The legacy contact cannot log into your account and pose as you, but rather is simply a "digital executor" that will be able to do things such as respond to posts, write a pinned post for your profile, update your profile picture and cover photo, and respond to new friend requests.
To add a legacy contact Facebook has supplied the following instructions:
Click in the top right of Facebook and select Settings
In the left menu, click Security
Click Legacy Contact
Type in a friend's name and click Add
To let your friend know they're now your legacy contact, click Send
To change or remove a legacy contact, follow steps 1–3 above, then click Remove. From there, you can add a new legacy contact if you'd like.
Twitter does not have an option to oversee another's account, regardless of relationship. You may request the account be closed using this email address: privacy@twitter.com
Instagram's options are similar to Facebook insomuch that you may request the account be deleted or you may request it to be memorialized. To do either, visit help.instagram.com then choose "Privacy and Safety Center" and then "Report Something" and finally, "Other Types of Reports". This will bring you to a help page that will further explain your options and how to implement them.
LinkedIn has an electronic form on their site that you may notify them of your loved one's death and have their account removed. This form can be accessed here or by going to help.linkedin.com and typing in the search bar "deceased".
Google and Hotmail both have options to gain access to a deceased account, provided certain requirements are met.
- To request this service from Google, visit support.google.com/accounts/contact/deceased
- To request this service from Hotmail, email msrecord@microsoft.com to initiate the process
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