This year I had the unfortunate job of helping two families close out their child’s LinkedIn accounts due to unexpected deaths.
This may have been the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a social media manager. Both of these people were my friends, both of these individuals were under the age of 40, and both of these people did not have legacy accounts set-up so their family members could easily manage their digital assets.
At a time when the holidays are rich with family gatherings, gift exchanges, and endless chatter – my conversation about loved ones passing on may seem inappropriate. However, if this articles helps even one individual from having to figure out the answer on what happens to their LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram accounts in the days following their death, then my service in sharing this has been fulfilled.
LinkedIn
As of Dec 2016, LinkedIn does NOT have a legacy account option built into the profile privacy settings to allow you to choose a guardian in the event of a death. This may change in the future so continue to check back with LinkedIn.
One thing you can do now is designate a backup person to share your username and password with while you’re alive. This may not be ideal, but it will save a lot of headaches later on in trying to close your account.
To report a family member, colleague, etc. as deceased, you can visit this link: Deceased LinkedIn Member – Removing Profile and I’ve outlined the steps below from their page.
“Unfortunately, there may be a time when you come across the profile of a colleague, classmate, or loved one who has passed away. If this happens, we can close that person’s account and remove their profile on your behalf.
We’ll need you to gather:
To start this process, please answer some questions about the person who has passed away by filling out this form .
After you fill out this form, it will be automatically sent to us for review and we’ll be in touch.″
Facebook
When Facebook decided to take on TimeHop for remembering important events in our timeline, one thing I feel it did not take into account was how it would feel for the person having to recall the memory. I personally went through this when my Aunt Ann died three years ago. Each year on her birthday it reminded us to wish her a happy birthday so February 13 has become a sad day in my family.
The good thing is you can set-up a legacy contact on Facebook to manage your account after you’ve passed away. Now – let me explain the word “manage” because they cannot act like they are you. A legacy contact user may only:
A legacy contact user may only:
A legacy account user cannot read your messages, they cannot delete old posts, and I stress they cannot log in and act like you. This is strictly for managing your account in the afterlife.
Instructions for adding or changing a legacy account user can be found here and I encourage all financial service professionals to make this part of an annual review process when reviewing beneficiaries and other policies as part of a holistic practice protocol. Your clients’ families will be grateful for the added touch.
Twitter
As of Dec 2016, Twitter does NOT have a legacy account option built into the profile privacy settings to allow you to choose a guardian in the event of a death. This may change in the future so continue to check back with Twitter.
As I suggested with LinkedIn, one thing you can do now is designate a backup person to share your username and password with while you’re alive.
To report a family member, colleague, etc. as deceased, you can visit this link: Contacting Twitter about a deceased or incapacitated user and I’ve outlined the steps below from their page.
Deceased User
"In the event of the death of a Twitter user, we can work with a person authorized to act on behalf of the estate, or with a verified immediate family member of the deceased to have an account deactivated.
Use this form to request the removal of a deceased user’s account. After you submit your request, we will email you with instructions for providing more details, including information about the deceased, a copy of your ID, and a copy of the deceased’s death certificate. This is a necessary step to prevent false and/or unauthorized reports. Be assured that this information will remain confidential and will be deleted once we’ve reviewed it.
Note: We are unable to provide account access to anyone regardless of their relationship to the deceased. For information about media on Twitter concerning a deceased family member, please read this article."
Incapacitated User
"In the event a Twitter user is incapacitated, due to medical or other reasons, we can work with a person authorized to act on the behalf of the user to have an account deactivated.
Use this form to request the removal of an incapacitated user’s account. After you submit your request, we will email you with instructions for providing more details, including information about the user, a copy of your ID, a copy of the account holder’s ID, and a copy of a Power of Attorney authorizing you to act on the account holder’s behalf. This is a necessary step to prevent false and/or unauthorized reports. Be assured that this information will remain confidential and will be deleted once we’ve reviewed it.”
Snapchat
As of Dec 2016, Snapchat does NOT have a legacy account option built into the profile privacy settings to allow you to choose a guardian in the event of a death. This may change in the future so continue to check back with Snap, Inc.
In fact, the most frustrating thing about Snapchat is HOW to close an account because you have to be signed into it (so dumb!). Grr – in the meantime, I continue to argue this point with developers at Snap, Inc.
In light of this, I strongly encourage you to designate a backup person to share your username and password with while you’re alive.
Instagram
As of Dec 2016, Instagram has not set-up a legacy account which I find to be very odd since it’s owned by Facebook. This might change in the future, so be sure and check back on the rules.
As I suggested with LinkedIn and other accounts, one thing you can do now is designate a backup person to share your username and password with while you’re alive.
Instagram does allow family members to report someone as deceased and they can either memorialize or have your account deleted. You can go here to see the official rules. A quick outline from their website shows:
“If you see an account on Instagram that belongs to someone who’s passed away, you can report it to us for memorialization. If you’re an immediate family member of that person, you can request the account be removed from Instagram.
Memorializing the account
"We’ll memorialize the Instagram account of a deceased person when we receive a valid request. We try to prevent references to memorialized accounts from appearing on Instagram in ways that may be upsetting to the person’s friends and family, and we also take measures to protect the privacy of the deceased person by securing the account.
To report an account to be memorialized, please contact us . We require proof of death, such as a link to an obituary or news article, to memorialize an account.
Please keep in mind that we can’t provide login information for a memorialized account. It’s always against our policies for someone to log into another person’s account."
Removing the account
Verified immediate family members may request the removal of a loved one’s account from Instagram. When you submit a request for removal, we require proof that you’re an immediate family member of the deceased person, such as:
The deceased person’s birth certificate
The deceased person’s death certificate
Proof of authority under local law that you are the lawful representative of the deceased person, or his/her estate
"To request that an account be removed, please fill out this form .”
In closing
Don’t leave something like this for others to make decisions on. Erasing someone is a terrible duty and the person is torn on who will judge them for deleting an account or having it memorialized. They simply cannot win.
Digital assets should be considered as part of planning. Make active decisions on what will happen with these accounts, don’t leave anything to chance, and especially consider how others will feel when they are left to this task.
Be bigger, better, and more BIONIC today.