According to Statista, more than 295 million people in the United States use social media. If you are an avid social media user, have you considered what will happen to your accounts when you die? If you have spent time creating, uploading, and sharing content, it is essential to take a look now at what will happen after you pass away so you can determine your content’s future.
What happens to your Facebook account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
According to Facebook’s Help Center, they will memorialize your account if a loved one informs them of your passing. Although your account will be memorialized, no changes will be made without a legacy contact. However, the content you previously shared will remain and will continue to be viewable by those you originally shared it with.
What You Can Do
If you want your account to continue to be managed, you will need to designate someone as a legacy contact. Your designee “can accept friend requests on behalf of a memorialized account, pin a tribute post to the profile and change the profile picture and cover photo.”
You also have the option to have your account permanently deleted when you die. As a result, everything associated with the account, including messages, photos, comments, etc., will also be permanently deleted.
Facebook Pages
Suppose you have a Facebook page for your social media endeavor. In that case, Facebook states that “[p]ages with a sole admin whose account was memorialized will be removed from Facebook if we receive a valid memorialization request.” Therefore, if you want your page to continue, you should plan.
What happens to your Instagram account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
If Instagram receives a valid request upon your passing, they will memorialize your account. Posts you shared will stay on your account and will still be visible to those with whom you originally shared the content.
As an alternative, an immediate family member can request that your account be removed from Instagram. Instagram requires proof that the requesting person is an immediate family member to terminate an account.
Instagram has no way for you to designate someone to manage your account at your death.
What happens to your Pinterest account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
After you pass away, a family member can contact Pinterest via their website to inform them of your passing. Upon receiving notice of your death, Pinterest will deactivate your account, and it will no longer be accessible by anyone.
Pinterest currently has no way for you to designate someone to manage the account after your passing.
What happens to your Snapchat account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
A family member can contact Snapchat, provide them with a copy of your death certificate, and have the account deleted.
Snapchat does not allow you to designate someone to continue the account after you have passed.
What happens to your Twitter account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
The person authorized to act on behalf of your estate or a verified immediate family member can contact Twitter and request that your account be deactivated. Twitter will ask for supporting documentation to avoid false or unauthorized reports.
On the other hand, if the account is inactive for six months or longer (i.e., no one has logged in during that period), Twitter may permanently remove the account “due to prolonged inactivity.”
What happens to your YouTube account after you die?
If You Do Nothing
Because of YouTube’s affiliation with Google, an immediate family member or representative of your estate can contact Google to close the account and submit a request for funds from your account.
What You Can Do
You can control access to your YouTube account using Google’s Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to designate a person to be contacted if your account has been inactive for a specified period. If you have decided to grant the designee access to any of your accounts, they will also be informed of the data you have chosen to share with them. The message will also include a link to download the information.
Next Steps
Because the process for each account is different, your loved ones must know what social media accounts you have and what your wishes are for their future after you have passed. By adequately laying out your wishes in your estate plan, you can guide your loved ones and reassurance that your legacy will live on. Contact us today to discuss the next steps for protecting you, your accounts, and your loved ones.
At Cheever Law, APC, we don’t just draft documents; we ensure you make informed and empowered decisions about life and death for yourself and the people you love, which starts at a valuable and educational Family Wealth Planning Session. The Family Wealth Planning Session will allow you to get more financially organized than you’ve ever been before and make all the best choices for the people you love. If you have already completed your estate plan, we will review that plan at your Life & Legacy Planning Session (aka Family Wealth Planning Session) to ensure that it will work the way you intend and address any holes or gaps that may be present if circumstances have changed since you executed your plan.
To learn more about our one-of-a-kind systems and services, contact us or schedule a 15-minute introductory call today.