grant to Forrester Research , 55.6 million adults in the United States have a social networking account with a site likeFacebook , MySpaceorTwitter . More people join societal networking land site every day . For some user , online networks serve as the primary mean of staying in touch with champion and family line . Social networking site get us post our intellection , pic , picture , music and other substance . But what happens to all of that when we pall ?
It ’s a sobering problem . As we invest more of ourselves into our online presence , we become more moved by the things we see and do on theInternet . We also affect our online friends . It might seem like worrying about what happens to your online comportment after your decease is a fiddling subject but it ’s becoming more important as time go on .
Part of the reason for that is the Internet offer a space for hoi polloi to express thought and feelings as they grieve a release . Your social networking profile could become a spot where your friends and kinfolk can apportion memory of you . People who might not otherwise hear of your exit may learn of it through your visibility page .
The answer varies from one site to another . As of yet , there is no law in the United States with rules about how to handle an online presence after someone fleet away . Each company make its own policies . Some , like MySpace , do so on a case - by - case base . Others , like Facebook , establish rules that allow friends and relatives to transform a normal visibility into a memorial .
Next , we ’ll look at Facebook ’s approach to handling the profile of a gone user .
Facebook After Death
Facebookinstituted a policy a few years ago regarding how to handle the visibility of departed individuals . family unit members could choose one of two options : end the account – Facebook will delete an account for good upon the family ’s request – or converting the account into a memorial profile . Facebook ’s policy states the caller will never release login information to anyone other than the account holder , even after death [ source : Facebook ] .
Before give any change , Facebook requires proof that the user has died . First , someone must employ an online form to account the drug user ’s demise . Within that descriptor is a space to include a radio link to an obituary or word composition confirming the expiry . Facebook employee then survey the drug user ’s visibility to control there has been no recent bodily function . Only then will the company begin the conversion physical process .
A visibility undergo several changes when change over into a memorial . Facebook removes sensitive information from the profile . This includes striking information and addresses . The ship’s company also removes position updates to protect the seclusion of the gone user .
Facebook changes the profile circumstance so that only friends can find the profile and post information to the user ’s wall . This let other appendage visit the visibility and expend it as a plaza of grieving and healing while preventing digital vandalism fromtrolls . search for the gone drug user on Facebook ’s search locomotive engine will not list the memorial page .
The troupe will also deactivate the exploiter ’s login info . This prevents anyone from guessing the user ’s countersign and lumber in to cause mischief .
Not every web site has established a insurance for sell with dying . Some will obey whatever the category wish well as long as the company receive proof of the substance abuser ’s passing . A few wo n’t take any activeness without a written matter of a death certificate . Other companies wo n’t make any changes at all . But as the issue pop up , more online social web are adopt rule to handle the situation .
Next , we ’ll look at a few things you’re able to do to make it easy for your sept to handle your online presence after you die .
Preparing Your Online Life for Death
What can you do to help your family or friends manage your on-line mien after you die ? bet on your horizontal surface of bodily process online , you may have tons of different accounts . And some internet site may not have policies in place to deal with your chronicle after your demise .
One matter you could do is designate someone to be in charge of your online account after you perish . You ’ll need to create a list of your user names and passwords and put it in a good place . A few companies will store that information for you , commonly for a fee .
One of those companies is Legacy Locker . The ship’s company extend three plans . you could create a destitute story and store up to three plus ( e.g. , login entropy ) , designate one beneficiary to retrieve those asset should you pass off and write a Legacy Letter . Legacy Lettersare messages the companionship will deliver to designated recipient role after verifying that you ’ve died .
Or you could set up a paid account . For $ 29.99 a yr , members can store an limitless number of assets and designate as many beneficiaries as they care . There is no demarcation on the number of Legacy Letters they can create . They can also apply an on-line document backup system and upload video to the situation for others to watch after they pass on . For a one - time fee of $ 299.99 , member can create an account that will rest alive without the demand for annual payments .
Besides Legacy Locker , here are other company that will store information for you and release it to designated individuals upon trial impression of your death . And while online service offer convenience , they may not be as unassailable as you would care . After all , you ’re storing all of your login selective information with one servicing . If a cyberpunk should get admittance to the ship’s company ’s files , he or she would be able-bodied to access all of your login data you ’ve stored . That might include everything from social networking profiles to online banking concern invoice .
You do n’t have to rely on a third company if you favour to maintain your own list of login information . In fact , there are several ways toencryptyour data , and you could give the decryption cay to people you trust . You could also show an executor to your on-line property in your will .
Even though companies are beginning to recognise the job of what to do with your data once you exit , most of the responsibility settle to you and your kin . It ’s not a lot of fun to call back about but a little consideration could preserve your loved ones from experiencing hours of frustration on top of their heartbreak .
Find out more about social networking sites by following the links on the next Thomas Nelson Page .
