Prime News Ghana

This is what happens to your social media account when you die

By primenews.com.gh
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We have all become part of the social media revolution. But have you wondered what will happen to your various social media accounts when you pass on?

 Well, if you thought your loved ones could get into your accounts when you're gone, you're mistaken.

Experts, according to Mirror UK, are admitting that the issue of an account holder's death is not one of the most thought-through components of the social networking revolution.

So here is what currently happens the social media accounts of a dead one.

Facebook

    Facebook
Facebook has arranged for you to choose what you want to happen to your account after you die

The largest social network tells users they can say in advance whether they’d like to have their account memorialised or permanently deleted from Facebook in the event of their death.

Facebook has also offered a way for surviving family and friends to head off afterlife issues - by adding a 'legacy contact' who will have limited control of the account should you pass on.

After the legacy contact has posted a final message Facebook makes the profile into a memorial, where friends will not change but messages of sympathy and remembrance can be posted.

Any which are deemed unsuitable can be moderated by the legacy contact. 

Twitter

    Twitter
Twitter allows people to request a shutdown of deceased person's accounts

In the event of the death of a Twitter user the company says it can work with a person authorised to act on the behalf of the estate, or with a verified immediate family member of the deceased, to have an account deactivated.

There are also avenues to request the removal of a deceased user's account, which will require you to provide information about the them, a copy of your ID, and copy of the death certificate.

They are clear on one thing, though - they are unable to provide account access to anyone regardless of his or her relationship to the deceased. 

Instagram

      Instagram logo
Instagram memorialises accounts like Facebook

The pictorial network also memorialises accounts like Facebook, but there are some differences.

Instagram doesn’t allow anyone to log into a memorialised account, and they cannot be changed, including changes to likes, followers, tags, posts and comments.

Posts the deceased person shared stay on Instagram and are visible to the audience they were shared with, but memorialised accounts don't appear in public spaces like searches.

Email

     Google homepage
Google mail lets you elect to shut down your account automatically after a period of inactivity

Gmail, as owned by Google, will allow you to apply to obtain the contents of a deceased person's email.

You can also set it to have an " Inactive Account Manager ," which either shares or delete your account after a set period of inactivity.

Yahoo also lets loved ones apply to close the account provided that they have the necessary documentation.

Apple's iCloud email and iTunes accounts are subject to different rules.

The corporation says : "You agree that your Account is non-transferable and that any rights to your Apple ID or Content within your Account terminate upon your death.

"Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate your Account may be terminated and all Content within your Account deleted."