What happens to your digital identity after you die

It’s Caroline’s birthday today. Write in her journal .” This is the type of notification the young woman’s hundreds of Facebook friends will receive. Caroline died two years ago, however. Her profile, abandoned, is still active. Every four minutes, a member of the social network dies in France, according to the funeral service AdVitam  So, what happens to all these ghost profiles? Are Facebook and co. Becoming digital graveyards?  According to a study conducted in spthe ring of 2025 by the Oxford Internet Institute, there will be more dead people’s profiles than living ones on Facebook by 2070.

To avoid having your loved ones suffer unwanted notifications about you after your death, Facebook offers its users the option of designating a legacy contact during their lifetime. The latter can request to transform the deceased’s account into a  “commemoration account,”  meaning that the page and its content (photos, publications, etc.) remain visibl and, that friends can leave messages there, but the profile no longer appears in public spaces (birthday reminders or advertisements, for example). A mention “in memory of” is attached to the person’s name.

A person’s Facebook account can also be permanently deleted after their deat, if the user expressed the wish during their lifetime in their settings rorat the request of the family. To do this, you will need to present the platform with supporting documents proving the family ties and the death of the person in question.

On Instagram, although owned by Facebook, no predisposition can be made during their lifetime. However, following a death, close family members can request either to change the deceased’s page to a  “memorial account” or to delete it. The social network requires several certificates before these steps can be taken.

Google offers its users a system similar to Facebook’s. It is possible, in the settings, to designate one or more managers of heir account in the event of death. As another option, the search engine also offers its users the option to delete their account after a period of inactivity of their choosing (at least 18 months). The account is then deleted automatically.

As for other social networks—such as Twitter, Linkedin, or Snapchat—they operate in much the same way: family members can request to delete the accounts of a deceased loved one by contacting the platform and providing several certificates. The same applies to platforms like Apple or Amazon, where, for the moment, purchases and downloaded content (films, series, music, e-books, etc.) cannot be passed on.

Managing a loved one’s digital profile after the death of a loved one is a relatively new issue, and new services are gradually emerging to assist individuals with their efforts. This is a way to avoid complex and painful procedures at a difficult time in life.

For example, the company  GrantWill creates virtual safes. During their lifetime, users can store all their personal, administrative, and digital data: their social media, insurance policies, and even investments. All they have to do is choose the beneficiaries, just like in a virtual will. A little bonus: it’s possible to prepare messages that will be sent posthumously to your friends… or enemies.    In addition to standard services (burial or cremation),
Thee Othenet OThenefuneral service  AdVitam offers its customers the option of managing the deceased’s online accounts (social media and email addresses). The startup can also take care of canceling subscriptions (electricity, telephone, VOD platform, etc.).

Finally, the e-reputation agency  Protego s a “digital mourning” offering. This includes post-mortem management of a loved one’s digital profile. It handles the process of closing various email and social media accounts. The company also offers to clean up and protect the deceased’s digital identity.

Conversely, some people want to create a virtual space for a deceased loved one.  In this article, we talked about platforms that allow you to create virtual burials, with iwiththe option of placing digital bouquets of feaving messages.