The death of a user has always been tricky for Facebook and
other social networks. In theory, the Internet,
and Facebook in particular, are the perfect venue for friends and family of the
decedent to mourn the individual and share memories. Unfortunately, and awkwardly, Facebook pages
are not always in a condition where the decedent, or their loved ones, would
want them to be preserved for the rest of time.
Until today,
there was no way for a Facebook user to control, during lifetime, what happens
to their Facebook account when they pass away.
Further, there was no way for a user to tell Facebook what they would
want to happen to their account when they die.
A “close relative” could request the account be “memorialized,” which
locks and forever freezes the account.
Or, the decedent’s close relative could petition for the account to be
deactivated and taken down. Another
option was the users could simply give a loved one their password during their
lifetime, handing over full control of their account, even during
lifetime. But, that is a violation of
Facebook’s terms of service.
Today,
Facebook announced a new setting that will give every Facebook user the option
to have their account permanently deleted when they die. Or, in the alternative, users can now
designate a “legacy contact,” - a friend or family member to take control of
certain aspects of their account after death.
Upon the user’s death, the legacy contact will be authorized to change
the decedent’s profile picture and cover photo, write a special post that would
be pinned to the decedent’s timeline, and accept friend requests from real-life
friends and family of the decedent who were not connected during the
individual’s lifetime. Users will also
have the option to allow their legacy contact to download an archive of the
photos, posts and profile information of the decedent.
The legacy contact will not, however,
be able to post as the decedent or see the decedent’s messages.
Facebook considers this information private, even after a user has
passed away. Legacy contacts will also
not have the power to edit or delete posts that the decedent shared in the past
or posts others have shared on the decedent’s timeline. So, designating a legacy contact will not
save an individual’s Facebook memorial page from the embarrassing photos they
may have posted over the years. But, the
option to change the cover photo and profile picture and pin a new post to the
top of deceased person’s timeline will at least push unfortunate content further
down the page where survivors can avoid seeing it.
The ability for Facebook users to
make their own choice as to whether they want their social media profiles to be
immortal is a necessary change.
Hopefully we will see more tech companies following Facebook’s
lead. If you want to designate your
legacy contact, here’s how you do it:
1.
Open
your Facebook settings. Choose Security and then Legacy Contact at the bottom of the page.
2.
After
choosing your legacy contact, you have the option to send a message to that
person.
3.
You
may also chose to give your legacy contact permission to download an archive of
the posts, photos and profile information you have shared on Facebook.
4.
If
you do not want a Facebook account after you have passed away, you can select
the option to have your account permanently deleted at your death.
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