Photo CreditI don’t mention this to generate sympathy, but recently, my younger sister passed away unexpectedly. Once upon a time, we wouldn’t have had to deal with accidentally running into her, post-death, online, but with social media, well, that’s all changed. People would still add her as a friend on Facebook or access her profile in Top Friends or other applications. As her sister, it was disconcerting to have her “news” pop up on my feed after she had left us.
I contacted Facebook and discovered they could memorialize her page. All they did was remove her status updates, thank god, and make it so that no one can access her profile for applications and the like. People can still post on her wall, which they do, to comment on how they miss her. Facebook made it easy. I filled out a form and they took care of the rest, resulting in this email:
Hi Michelle,
We are very sorry to hear about your loss. Per our policy for deceased users, we have memorialized your sister’s account. This removes certain more sensitive information and sets privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile or find the person in search. The Wall remains so that friends and family can leave posts in remembrance.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide login information for the account. This is to protect the privacy of the deceased user. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks for contacting Facebook,
It got me thinking about other services that are out there. If I was to leave our earthly plain, I’d leave behind a lot more than a Facebook account. My social media accounts are spread out a little bit of everywhere. Death Switch is a service that sends out one email after your death. For $30, you can have a premium account that includes multiple emails and attachments. It’s just one way to share user names, passwords, or dark secrets after you’ve passed on. The service requires that you enter a password so many times. If you don’t check in enough, well, the email gets sent. (I think I saw this on a Law & Order episode.)
Alternatively, there is Legacy Locker, which thinks of itself as a safe deposit box for your online life, specifically calling out eBay, online banking, and PayPal, as well as social media:
Legacy Locker is easy to use and understand. First, you create an account and fill out your profile with your basic information (address, phone numbers, etc). Next, you enter verifiers, the people who you completely trust to handle information in the unfortunate event of your passing. The next step is to identify all your online assets, entering the Website, username, and password for each asset. As you enter assets, you’ll assign them to your beneficiaries, the people to whom you wish to pass on your sensitive information. In addition to online assets, you can also create Legacy Letters, notes which get electronically delivered to friends, loved ones, or colleagues. Think of your Legacy Locker similar to a safety deposit box, it’s a secure place to store important assets – only online.
If you pass away, one of your verifiers must check in with the site to confirm your death. At that point, Legacy Locker kicks into gear, sending out the requisite emails to each of your beneficiaries. Legacy Locker offers three plans: the basic trial plan that includes 3 assets, 1 beneficiary, and 1 letter, as well as the unlimited $30/year plan and the lifetime, and unlimited, $300 plan.
I’m not sure how I feel about receiving – or sending – an email from beyond the grave. Considering how disconcerting it was to see my sister on Facebook, I would think an email would be worse. That said, I can understand why people might arrange for this sort of thing.
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Email: michelle[at]writetech[dot]net
Twitter: @writetechnology, Friendfeed: michellel
Blogs: Write Technology, Wine-Girl.net
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