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Tips on writing a social media will

Daryl Paranada Nov 14, 2012

What happens to the content you’ve created and shared on social media once you die? You might want to consider creating a statement of how you want your online identity to be handled — a social media will — if you’re an active user of social media. The U.S. government says you should appoint someone you trust as an online executor who will be responsible for the closure of your email addresses, social media profiles, and blogs after you’ve passed.

The government suggests you take these steps to help you write a social media will:

  • Review the privacy policies and the terms and conditions of each website where you have a presence.
  • State how you would like your profiles to be handled. You may want to completely cancel your profile or keep it up for friends and family to visit. Some sites allow users to create a memorial profile where other users can still see your profile but can’t post anything new.
  • Give the social media executor a document that lists all the websites where you have a profile, along with your usernames and passwords.
  • Stipulate in your will that the online executor should have a copy of your death certificate. The online executor may need this as proof in order for websites to take any actions on your behalf.

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