It’s the topic of the moment “what are the options for online digital identification management after death?” Whilst waiting for my muse to turn up last week as we pondered the topic you would like to learn more about. My own thoughts wandered to dear member of our family whom we lost to ovarian cancer in 2012. Her facebook profile frequently stares out at me amongst the constantly rolling facebook news reel.
Whilst on the one hand it’s lovely to see her face smiling out at me, it’s also disconcerting to feel that her life goes on, whether we want it to or not, with her online identity. It’s also a worry as to what may be posted on her wall whether by accident or by a troll. Her memory is so precious to us and her children and we want to protect that.
A bit of a damb squib and conversation stopper we admit – but something we must now seriously consider in this age of information technology – is the question of our online digital identification. Perhaps it is some people’s wish to stay immortal still be accesible via their facebook accounts, pinterest notice boards, twitter streams, myspace, f6’s account etc. It’s a hot topic amongst online journalists, the mere suggestion to raise the topic of after life digital identification management continues to raise temperatures in some quarters. A bit like that Will we keep meaning to make, it’s something we keep putting on the long finger or may not have even considered.
Spurred on by my own personal experience we started examining what was available to help bereaved families manage the accounts of those who have gone before us. We mention a few here and would love to hear from you if you have found more or if you would like to share your own experience/thoughts on the topic. We feel a whole new industry may be about to sprout up.
Microsoft Outlook.com – digital identification management
If you can provide the death certificate, details of the account and written confirmation that you are next of kin to the deceased, (or the executor of the estate) Microsoft will send you the emails attached to that outlook.com site. You can find out the exact process here.
Facebook.com – digital identification management
This is probably the one account people think about managing more carefully as our personal profiles usually contain photos of our children and loved ones, a part of us – and a special moment of our life that we wanted to share with our friends and family.
Facebook have thoughtfully addressed the issue by offering 2 options. They will allow next of kin to either remove the account entirely or to “memorialise” it. The second option means that the timeline will stay live and it will be possible for people to post their condolences. They say they will remove sensitive information such as status updates, contact details etc.
Again, here you will need to provide Facebook with details of the death certificate, and written proof that you are a “lawful representative” of the estate. Click here for more details.
Google.com – digital identification management
Let’s face it, if you are in business Google rules the world. Last year they launched a feature called “inactive account manager”. This allows you to control what happens to the data stored in your beloved Google account after you pass.
They offer a couple of options. You can access these under the Setup button on the Inactive Account Manager or just click here. Choosing a time out period (from 3 – 18 months) means that once Google realises there hasn’t been any account activity for a specified period it will treat the account as inactive. In case you are still alive and are just taking a prolonged sojourn they’ll email you a warning first.
A nice touch from Google is that you can choose 10 contacts to notify them when this happens. They then have the option to download your photos etc from various services including Google+, Google Drive, Google gmail, Blogger, YouTube etc.
Or, you can of course just to delete the whole lot rather than sharing anything.
What to do with Passwords
Particularly if you have built up a business, you want the business to continue on – to generate 
income for your family – after you have gone. You can instruct your Solicitor to place sealed envelopes containing your instructions and passwords etc with your Will in a separate document.
Preserving your online digital identity
If you want make the whole process easier for your family you could consider signing up with legacy specialists. You hand over the running of this account to someone you trust who will notify the specialists once you pass.
This blog post is dedicated to the memory of Paula, missed every day but still inspiring us.
