What happens to your social media accounts after your death?
Each platform has its own policy for accounts of the deceased, and these differ considerably. Some services convert a profile into a memorial page, while others only delete the account when a next of kin explicitly requests it and provides proof of death. Without that request, an account simply stays online, sometimes for years, with birthday reminders and old photos that suddenly resurface among the people you've left behind.
That's exactly the core of the problem: platforms only respond when someone takes action, and that person often has no password and no idea what you would actually want. Do you want your Instagram to remain as a memorial, or should everything be deleted? These two things, access and wishes, should be arranged separately. A password written down solves one, but says nothing about the other.
What the major platforms themselves do
Facebook and Instagram have a memorial status: the profile remains visible, marked as 'in memory', and a contact person you've designated can exercise limited management, for example posting a pinned message. Without that designation in advance, a next of kin can usually only request deletion, not management.
Google works differently: through the Inactive Account Manager you set yourself what happens to your Gmail, photos and YouTube channel after a period of inactivity, and who receives notification about it. LinkedIn and TikTok offer no memorial status; there a family member can only submit a deletion request with a death certificate. X (formerly Twitter) uses a similar, strict procedure. The result is that you have to know something different for each platform, and no one has that overview if you don't set it out.
Why a password alone isn't enough
Simply logging into someone's account sounds easy, but most platforms don't see that as official access. They often ask for a death certificate, proof of relationship, or a special form. A next of kin who secretly logs in with a found password is also in an awkward position: they don't know for sure if that's what you wanted.
On top of that, passwords change, two-step verification gets added, and accounts become linked to phone numbers that are no longer active. A list from years ago is then already outdated. What's more important than the password itself is that there's a current, secure place where that information is stored, and that someone knows that place exists.
Passwords and wishes stored separately
It works best if you separate two things. On the one hand the technical access: usernames, passwords and recovery codes, stored somewhere safe so they don't lie around in a drawer or notes app. In securely store your passwords and documents encrypted you prepare that information so it's not visible prematurely, and only at the right moment does it reach the person you trust.
On the other hand your wishes: what should happen to each account. Do you want your Facebook to become a memorial page, or to disappear instead? Should someone post a final message on your behalf? You'd best document those choices in plain language, so a next of kin doesn't have to guess. That could be for example next to a message you prepare now for later, in which you can also explain why you chose a particular approach.
Who gets access, and when
It doesn't make sense if this information is immediately visible to everyone, or conversely becomes inaccessible to everyone when the time comes. A trusted contact who gains access only at the right moment prevents both problems. For details on exactly how that encryption and access works, read the page about how we keep your data encrypted and secure.
If you're unsure about what can and can't be arranged through such a platform, you'll find the most frequently asked questions about it collected on the page with answers to practical questions about inheritance.
Start small, you don't have to do it all at once
You don't need to inventory every account and password right away. Start with the places that contain your most precious things: your main email address, the social media profiles where your family is, and a brief explanation of what you want to happen to them. You can fill in the rest later, at your own pace.
Would you like to record this now so it doesn't get left behind? You can start for free and without obligation at Bruidswarenhuis, securely leave your passwords and wishes for later, and add to them at your own pace whenever you feel the need.