Death is a bustling company: a moment ago you were still in bloom – and a few moments later a bus driver is standing next to a dented corpse, scratching his head, wondering how this could happen again. What I mean by that: It is never too early to settle the digital estate – because tomorrow it could be too late. Fortunately, Facebook has a suitable function ready.
Why digital heritage matters
A few years ago I wrote about an acquaintance who passed away. Like so many others, his Facebook profile stayed online: a digital spirit in an upcoming metaverse. This could happen to anyone who does not manage their digital legacy on Facebook in good time.
Though there is a help functionwhich allows third parties to put the account in a “memorial state”. However, that’s only half the battle, because the account and the data it contains remain undead. And so my deceased friend enjoys every year on the anniversary of his birth and death as a digital revenant, on whose wall all kinds of comments are posted. Nobody wants that.
How much digital legacy is left behind on Facebook?
Fortunately, there is now a function on Facebook to manage the digital estate on Facebook. A lot of personal stuff is stored here, from pictures and videos to comments and political opinions. And of course no one wants to post happily on their own pin board after their own death, right?
Set up a digital estate on Facebook: Here’s how
The key to managing the digital estate on Facebook is the so-called Inheritance contact. This is someone you trust so much that you give them the key to manage your account as soon as you are gone. This can be siblings, parents, children, the life partner and spouse or even a notary or lawyer.
The estate contact can do some essential things with your account, delete it, download content or moderate posts and comments. For example, he cannot log into your account. In short: It makes a lot of sense to provide an estate contact for a Facebook account! That’s how it works:
- Opens the Facebook help page for naming an estate contact.
- You now have two options: Either you name an inheritance contact, or you request the deletion of your account after your death.
- As is typical for Facebook, the estate contact must of course also be on Facebook and be friends with you there: Enter the name in the input field. Checks carefully whether it is the right person.
- Now click on “Add”.
- You now have the opportunity to send a message to your estate contact. Attention: If you do not want this and click on “Cancel”, the person will still be your estate contact!
- That’s about it: Facebook informs the person that they are now your estate contact. Besides, you can tell her that personally, after all, you should be close to each other.
Estate contact on Facebook: More options
You also have a few options. For example, you can tick the box to give your estate contact the opportunity to download the Facebook data archive. This is all of the content on your profile, including images and videos. If you think this is in your memory, the hook makes sense. If it could get rather embarrassing afterwards, leave the hook off.
Important: In this way, the administrator of your digital estate has access to all data, including those that they could not see before!
You should also activate the annual reminder. In this way, you can ensure that you are not granting the digital inheritance to someone who you no longer have anything to do with or who in turn has passed away.
Have your Facebook account deleted after death
Alternatively, in the setting for the digital estate administrator, you also have the option of selecting the option “Delete account after my death”. Then you don’t have to name an inheritance contact. To do this, click on the link “Request deletion of my account after my death.”
The catch: Facebook must of course find out that you have passed away. So someone has to eitherApplication for the creation of the memorial status“Or the”. If you cannot ensure that, it is important that you determine an inheritance contact.
Digital Estate on Facebook: Better Than Nothing
We will be working on the topic of “digital heritage” more frequently in the near future. Even if nobody wants to deal with it, it is dead certain (sic!) That the day will come sooner or later. Of course we wish you that this day comes as late as possible and as early as necessary. But especially when it comes earlier, you usually don’t have time to settle your estate beforehand, regardless of whether it is analog or digital.
So it is best to regulate your digital legacy on Facebook the same way: Otherwise you may be haunted for eternity – or at least, as long as there is Facebook – as a digital ghost through the Internet.
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