OdishaLIVE Bureau
Facebook after death?
Social media these days plays a huge role in an individual’s life. Various social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn,Tumblr etc are used by millenials to keep an archive or a display of their personal and professional lives, achievements, milestones and accolades etc.
In fact, a lot of individuals and businesses have grown and prospered with help from their contacts and clients because of the vast network and reach of social media.
Now imagine losing track of your social media accounts by accident or by causes beyond your control. Sounds scary doesn’t it? Also imagine the plight of friends and family when a person leaves the world forever? What do friends and family do with the social accounts of a deceased person?
Facebook has a definite policy of handling a user account posthumously. There are three ways in which a Facebook account can be managed after a person’s death.
Memorialized Accounts
Facebook memorializes a person’s account after verification of his/her demise. Verification will be done after a person fills up an online form to report demise. Within that form is a space to include a link to an obituary or news report confirming the death. Facebook employees then review the user’s profile to verify there has been no recent activity. Only then will the company begin the conversion process. A memorial account will show the person’s name preceded by the word Remembering. For eg. Remembering <Name> <Surname>. The memorial account is converted into a page by Facebook like a fan Page.
Depending upon the account security defined by the person, the memorialized account will show to friends and family of the person. A memorialized account is a place for friends and family to share memories of the departed person. The posts and photos shared by the account holder are still visible to people in the friends list. However, the account is not visible under People You May Know suggestions, ads and Birthday reminders. Also no one can log on to a memorialized account.
Permanently delete an account
One can choose to permanently delete one’s account by going to Facebook Settings.
Then you have to click on General.
Then go to Manage Account
Click on Account Deletion and follow on screen procedure to delete your account should you pass away.
Adding a Legacy Contact
If you choose to appoint a person as your legacy contact, they will have limited access to your account after it’s memorialized. They can pin a post on your profile, such as a final message indicating funeral details. Legacy contacts can also accept friend requests and update your profile and cover photo. It should be noted that a legacy contact should be above 19 years old.
The legacy contact can pin a message about your demise on your timeline, respond to friend requests and post messages on your timeline if your privacy settings allow it to.
If however, your timeline settings are private; your legacy contact cannot perform any of the above mentioned accounts. Your legacy contact can’t:
Log into your account
Remove or change past posts, photos and other things shared on your timeline
Read your messages
Remove any of your friends or make new friend requests
Add a new legacy contact to your account
How to Add a Legacy Contact on facebook
- Click in the top right of Facebook and select Settings
- Click Manage Account
- Type in a friend’s name and click Add
- To let your friend know they’re now your legacy contact, click Send
