Social media use is continuing to grow across all generations. With most people posting about their lives, it begs the question: what happens to our social media accounts when we pass away?
When a loved one passes away, their social media accounts may remain active, receiving tags and posts as well as private messages. Some unused accounts can even be taken over by hackers and misused. Most social media platforms have guidelines for how to memorialize or take down an account of a deceased loved one.
Navy Mutual offers a free Estate Planning: Personal Log where you can record your asset and will locations, and what you want to happen to your social media accounts when you pass away.
Flickr
Flickr offers the option to either memorialize or delete the deceased’s account. There are specific requirements for each option. A death certificate or obituary is required to report a death in either case. To delete an account, Flickr may require documentation identifying the family member with power of attorney or the executor of the deceased’s estate.
Memorialized accounts preserve all public content in the deceased member’s account, even if the deceased’s Flickr Pro subscription has lapsed. Accounts without public content will not be memorialized.
Flickr will typically not allow access to a deceased member’s account.
LinkedIn offers memorialization or removal of the deceased’s account. Once reported, LinkedIn will memorialize the account of a deceased member if provided an obituary link or a death certificate. Reporting the account to be closed requires additional documentation showing that you have the authority to act on behalf of the deceased’s estate.
Memorialized accounts keep the deceased’s profile visible with an “In remembrance” badge attached to the account. No one will be able to log in and other features will be inaccessible. The account will be locked from logins to protect privacy. LinkedIn will not provide log-in information to the deceased’s account.
Meta
While Meta manages Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, reporting a death to one of Meta’s social media platforms does not always affect the others. Be sure to follow the process for each unique site.
Facebook offers two options when reporting the death of the owner of an account. You may memorialize the account which allows friends and family to continue posting memories of the deceased on a digital wall, or remove the account entirely. To notify Facebook, a death certificate is preferred, but Facebook will accept other documentation as well. In either case, the deceased’s login information will not be shared.
As the owner of your own Facebook page, you may choose to designate a legacy contact who can do a few things with your profile, like pin a tribute and change the account’s profile picture and cover photo after your passing. Legacy contacts cannot log into your account, read your messages, remove friends or make new friend requests. Your legacy contact must be chosen prior to death, and you must be over 18 to choose a contact.
Within the memorialization setting, you may also choose to have your Facebook account deleted upon death rather than memorialized.
Like Facebook, Instagram offers the option of memorializing or deleting the account of a deceased person. Proper documentation is required and family members must contact Instagram to memorialize the account or fill out a form to remove the account. Log-in information will not be shared. No one will be given access to post content or read and write messages.
Threads
Threads accounts are tied to a person’s Instagram account. When reporting a death to Instagram, be sure to note that the deceased also had a Threads account and that you would like the account either memorialized or removed.
To deactivate a deceased family member’s account, you will need to go through Pinterest’s help center. Additional documentation may be requested. Pinterest will not provide personal or login information for access to the deceased’s account.
Snapchat
According to Snapchat Support, Snapchat will only delete an account if a request comes from the email that is associated with the Snapchat account. Snapchat will not allow anyone access to a deceased user’s account and does not have a memorialization option.
TikTok
TikTok does not offer a memorial option for a deceased user’s account. If you would like to request account removal of someone who has passed away, contact TikTok. Additional documentation may be required. Once an account is deleted, it cannot be reactivated, and none of its content or information may be accessed.
Tumblr
To close the account of a deceased user, you will need to submit a request. Include a link to the deceased’s Tumblr and their username. Additional documentation may be required.
X
X will delete the deceased’s account after proof of death of the account user and the identity of the requestor has been verified. Additional documentation will be required. X also offers account deletion of an incapacitated person’s account. In this case, a power of attorney or other authorizing document will be required.
YouTube
YouTube accounts are managed by Google. Requests to delete a deceased person’s YouTube account need to be reported to Google. Google offers the options to access content, request funds from monetized YouTube accounts, and obtain certain data from the account. Each option is dependent on the type of documentation and the relationship of the requestor to the deceased. Google does not provide login information or passwords.
Don’t leave your loved ones to figure out finances after you’re gone! A life insurance policy from Navy Mutual can help ensure your family has the financial security they need to pay remaining debt, mitigate funeral costs, and have funds left over to continue their lives. Set an appointment with a representative or email us at counselor@navymutual.org.