What happens to the data on your social media accounts after you Die?

We put a lot of information about our personal life on the internet. Pictures, videos, important messages, memorable moments, altered ego, almost everything that exists in the real world. We are literally creating our own virtual world on the internet. The question is where does all this data go? Who handles our online accounts? And finally, What will happen to these accounts after you die?

Things to realize:

1. Your online data like depositories, notes, images, etc., that you upload do not belong to you. 
2. No one is allowed to use your account after you die.
3. You accept the terms and conditions when you are setting up the account, it may state that whatever possession of the account you are having will be closed down after your death.
4. Even an online account cannot be transferred to another person after the death of the user as it is a breach of terms and conditions. 

So, it is worth thinking about what you want to do with your data after you die. Social media networks like Facebook and Google have an inexorable pull. You might not be a regular user, but you probably have at least one account for some social media site or another.

It is also likely that you are aware of what will happen to your online accounts when you die or otherwise become incapacitated. But it’s worth understanding the process better so that you can make sure all of your data gets passed on to the right person in an orderly manner.

But, Some online websites say, there are some tools available that allow the users to decide what they want to do with their accounts after they die. This can be good news for those who worry. Let’s take a look at social media giants like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter, who already stated terms and conditions on what will happen to those accounts after the user die?

What will Twitter do to your data after you die:

Twitter won’t allow another person to access the dead user’s account but, but the account can be deactivated on behalf of the dead user. If you want to continue that account like a public page or any other business-related kind, then you need to provide documents like a death certificate, Twitter username, and signed proof.

• The Twitter account will be deactivated.
• Tweets and interactions with other users after death may or may not remain visible, depending on what the deceased person selected in their privacy settings before they died.

What will Facebook to your data after your death:

The Facebook account wall can be changed to a page and also it can be ‘memorialized’ after the user dies where the other users can leave their condolences through comments. The dead user details can also be downloaded as their memories or that account can be deactivated. To do this we need to submit a death certificate copy to Facebook.  

• Facebook will memorialize the account. The profile picture is changed to a gray silhouette of an XXXXXX and friends are notified, with options for remembering or hiding posts from that person’s timeline.

What will Gmail or Google do to your data after you die:

If you want to deactivate or access someone’s Google or Gmail account who is dead, you need to request Google through an email first. They also need to provide a death certificate, after their verification they will decide on what to do and let you know.

• Gmail will deactivate the account.
• Google photos and videos may be deleted or made private by family members if they’re set to inherit this content.
• YouTube’s videos will be deleted or set to private.
• Google Documents (Google Drive) documents will remain and can be shared with friends, family members, designated successors in your account settings, or anyone you choose by sharing a link.

What will Apple do to your data after your death:

When it comes to an Apple device if you don’t know the password of the previous user who is no more, then you need to wipe all the data using iTunes. Once Apple confirmed the user is dead then the account is completely deleted along with all other related data like iCloud, App purchases, and repositories in the cloud. To avoid this, it is recommended to set up a Family Sharing. At the Apple Support website, you can notify the person’s death. Based on that Apple allows passing on Apple account access to friends and family people temporarily.

• If you set up two-factor authentication, the account will be locked and can’t be accessed.
• The Apple ID cannot be changed or used after death.
• Text messages with iMessage apps will remain until they are deleted manually from a device (not available on iCloud).
• Content downloaded from iTunes Store won’t expire as long as there is an active subscription to said material (if not, then it’s permanently lost), but content purchased in iTunes may have restrictions depending on how it was licensed by the copyright holder. For example, digital books can only be read so many times before expiring, while movies rented through iTunes can no longer be viewed once their rental period expires. Music that has been added to your– Apple ID account will be deactivated.
• Apps and iTunes purchases can only be accessed by a “family organizer” or an administrator with the right to override the device’s security settings.
• iCloud’s data is not deleted unless you delete it manually, but access may vary depending on whether someone else has been given rights over your account. This includes music saved in the cloud for playback on various devices, as well as photo libraries and backups of iPhone contents such as text messages and call logs.

We also had a great article about the Right to repair and why it is very much important with today’s electronic device. Do read the interesting article at Half of The.