When a Loved One Dies: Managing Their Social Media

Summary: Most people have accumulated a collection of online accounts and digital assets—from email and social media to online banking and cryptocurrency. However, many don’t realize that these assets can become inaccessible, lost, or even mishandled if left without proper planning.

In this article:

Digital estate planning addresses this issue, helping ensure that your digital assets are protected and distributed according to your wishes. Here’s a guide to what digital estate planning entails and why it’s important.

What happens to digital assets when a loved one dies?

For social media, the answer varies, depending on the policies of each social media platform. But generally, there are two options available to survivors of the deceased: Close the account permanently or keep it open and maintain it.

Almost every social media site posts their policies online for how to manage or close the account of a loved one who has died, and you’ll need to read those policies. But here are some things you should know that might make the process easier.

For other digital assets, like cryptocurrency, online securities, bank accounts, and rewards points may become inaccessible without proper documentation, potentially leading to financial loss.

What happens if I do nothing?

Again, for social media, that depends on the social media platform. Some social media sites automatically close the account after a period of inactivity, while others require active steps to shut them down.

A Facebook account, for instance, will remain active until Facebook is notified otherwise. X, on the other hand, will shut down the account after six months of inactivity.

Be aware that if you leave your loved one’s social media account active — what is sometimes referred to as a ghost account — there’s a good chance their name will pop up on someone’s suggested friend list, which can be awkward or sad and even seem disrespectful.

More broadly, without a digital estate plan family members may be unable to access your digital accounts. This is especially true if they lack usernames, passwords, or two-factor authentication codes. Platforms require specific documentation in many cases to grant access or close accounts, which can be difficult to obtain after death.

What is digital estate planning?

A digital estate plan lists a person’s digital assets and directs how they are to be handled after that person dies. Digital assets consist of anything that belongs to the person and is stored electronically, including social media accounts. Digital assets include three main categories:

A digital estate plan may also include a digital will and a digital executor who can act on your behalf to manage your digital assets according to your wishes. The digital estate plan gives them access to usernames and passwords for digital assets and social media accounts.

A digital will

A digital will, also known as an e-will, outlines instructions for managing and distributing your digital assets. It specifies each digital asset you own, provides access information, and details what you would like done with each asset. While traditional wills cover tangible assets, a digital will focuses solely on online accounts and digital properties.

Things to Consider When Creating a Digital Will

It’s helpful to work with a legal professional when drafting a digital will to ensure it complies with state laws and is legally enforceable.

The digital executor

A digital executor is someone designated to handle your digital assets according to your wishes. This role is similar to that of a traditional executor but specific to online accounts and digital assets. The digital executor may be responsible for retrieving account information, closing accounts, transferring assets, or memorializing social media profiles.

To appoint a digital executor, you can specify this role in your digital will. However, note that not all states legally recognize digital executors, so you may need to designate this person as the primary executor in your traditional will. Choose someone who is comfortable with technology, understands your digital footprint, and whom you can trust to carry out your wishes accurately and securely.

Online banking and the digital estate plan

Online banking accounts and digital wallets (e.g., PayPal, Venmo, cryptocurrency) are critical elements of your digital estate. Many financial institutions have protocols for managing the accounts of deceased customers, but these protocols vary by institution and can be complex. Without a clear plan, these assets could become difficult to access or even lost.

Here are key steps to include in your digital estate plan for online banking:

Proper planning can help prevent financial loss and ensure these assets are passed to your beneficiaries efficiently and securely.

Social media and the digital estate plan

Here’s where the legwork comes in. You need to go to each social media site and find out what their policies are for handling the accounts of the deceased. Typically, you’re going to need some official verification of death, such as a death certificate or an obituary, as well as documentation showing that you’re an immediate family member or have been designated as an executor.

You can request the removal of a deceased family member’s Facebook account here.

Facebook also allows accounts of deceased persons to be memorialized. A memorialized account, according to Facebook, is “a place for friends and family to gather and share memories after a person has passed away.” On a memorialized account, the word “Remembering” is shown next to the person’s name on their profile.

Friends can still share memories on the memorialized timeline, but memorialized profiles don’t appear in public spaces such as Facebook’s “People You May Know.”

Learn more about memorializing a Facebook account.

Learn about contacting X regarding a deceased family member’s account.

You can set these preferences directly on each platform, but it’s helpful to include instructions for your social media accounts in your digital will as well. Your digital executor can ensure these wishes are respected and help prevent the accounts from remaining active indefinitely.