March 21, 2017
During times of existential angst when you ponder life’s meaning and the afterlife, you might wonder about the well being of those you leave behind after your death. Will your spouse remarry? Will your grandchildren remember you? Will your children leave petunias on your grave?
You might also wonder what will happen to your Facebook account after you’ve expired. This question never crossed our minds here at AdvertiseMint until we stumbled upon the topic while reviewing Facebook’s Community Standards.
When You Die, Facebook Will Memorialize Your Account
There have been many mourners who, worried that Facebook will delete the deceased’s inactive Facebook profile, wished they could somehow preserve their loved ones’ Facebook profile. Fortunately, as stated on Facebook’s Community Standards, the deceased’s Facebook profile can be immortalized after death. This process is called memorializing an account, which can either be done by you or by your friends and family: you can notify Facebook in advance that you want your account memorialized when you die or your loved ones can send Facebook a memorialization request after your death.
A memorialized Facebook account differs from a regular account: it’s a place for friends and family to gather and commemorate you by sharing memories on your timeline. Memorialized accounts have the following features:
- The word “Remembering” appears next to your name.
- Friends can share memories on your timeline.
- Your content, such as photos, videos, and posts, remain visible for friends and family to see.
- Memorialized accounts don’t appear on public spaces such as the Suggestions and the People You May Know sections.
- No one can log in to a memorialized account.
- Memorialized accounts that don’t have a legacy contact can’t be changed.
- If a Facebook page is connected to a memorialized account that is the sole admin of the page, the page will be removed.
If you want, you can add to your memorialized account a legacy contact, the caretaker of your profile after your passing. Your legacy contact, who must be 18 or older, has the power to do the following:
- Write a pinned post
- Respond to friend requests
- Update your profile and cover photo
- Download a copy of your shared posts
Although the legacy contact is allowed to manage your Facebook account, he or she can’t make the following actions:
- Log in to your account
- Remove or change past photos, posts, and other posts shared on your timeline
- Read your messages
- Remove any of your friends
Of course, if the idea of your Facebook profile remaining alive and active after your death doesn’t appeal to you, you can notify Facebook in advance that you want your Facebook profile deleted after your death. If you choose to do nothing, your Facebook account will still remain active because Facebook does not close inactive accounts.
After you pass away, you will leave loved ones, belongings, and your Facebook profile behind. However, you can find comfort in the knowledge that your friends and family can mourn and heal by commemorating you on your memorialized Facebook profile.
Would you ever memorialize your Facebook account? Let us know on the comments section below, and share this link to friends.
