What Happens to Your Social Media When You Die. Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, with billions of people around the world using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to connect with friends, family, and colleagues. But what happens to your social media accounts when you die?

What Happens to Your Social Media When You Die 

Source: Google

In this blog, we will explore the different options available for managing your social media accounts after your death, including the option to designate a legacy contact or to create a digital estate plan. We will also look at the legal issues surrounding social media and inheritance, and discuss some of the ethical and privacy considerations that arise when it comes to managing the online presence of a deceased person.

Designating a Legacy Contact

Many social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, offer the option to designate a legacy contact, which is a person who is authorized to manage your account after you die. This can include tasks such as updating your profile picture, accepting friend requests, and managing your messages.

To designate a legacy contact on Facebook, go to the "Security and Login" section of the "Settings" page and click on the "Edit" button next to "Legacy Contact." You can then select a legacy contact from your list of friends and specify what tasks they will be able to perform on your account.

On Instagram, you can go to the "Security" section of the "Options" menu and select "Legacy Contact" to designate a legacy contact for your account. On Twitter, you can go to the "Privacy and Safety" section of the "Settings and Privacy" menu and select "Your legacy on Twitter" to designate a legacy contact.

It's important to note that the legacy contact you designate will not have access to your account password, and they will not be able to log in as you or see your private messages. They will only be able to perform the tasks you have authorized them to do.

Creating a Digital Estate Plan

In addition to designating a legacy contact, you may also want to consider creating a digital estate plan to manage your online assets after you die. This can include tasks such as transferring ownership of domain names, transferring ownership of online accounts, and transferring ownership of digital assets such as ebooks, music, and photographs.

To create a digital estate plan, you will need to identify all of your online assets and determine who you want to inherit them. You can then use a tool such as Google Inactive Account Manager to specify what should happen to your Google accounts (such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Drive) if you become inactive for a certain period of time. You can also use a service such as Digital Beyond to manage your digital assets and create a digital will.

Legal Issues Surrounding Social Media and Inheritance

There are a number of legal issues that can arise when it comes to inheriting social media accounts and other online assets. For example, many social media platforms have terms of service that prohibit the transfer of accounts, and some states have laws that prohibit the inheritance of digital assets.

To avoid legal complications, it's important to carefully review the terms of service for each social media platform you use and consult with a lawyer to ensure that your digital estate plan is legally enforceable.

Ethical and Privacy Considerations

In addition to the legal issues surrounding social media and inheritance, there are also a number of ethical and privacy considerations to take into account. For example, should your legacy contact be able to access your private messages and other personal information? And what should be done with