It Is True That Not Everyone Is Active On Facebook Yet Many Have Accounts Whether They Use Them Or Not
With its 1.49 billion users, Facebook has provided a path for users’ family members or personal representatives to stage an exit from the popular social media platform.
An important part of working with people to create their estate plan is to recommend appropriate actions and preparations, and a key preparation is a plan to pass on passwords and access to online accounts and tools. Social media is one of those. There are various solutions to make this work but when it has not been provided for, what happens to the Facebook account when someone has passed?
While it may be hard to believe that people will post inappropriate things on the Facebook page of someone who has died, it happens. Before estates are settled and before any possibility of awkward (or worse) situations arises, immediate family members or the personal representative should take action to remove the deceased loved one’s account.
To help facilitate the account management post mortem, Facebook has created a procedure that includes filling out this form. The form collects the family member’s information, the deceased person’s information—including email address and Facebook URL—and requires an uploaded document proving the person has passed and that you are authorized to make the request. The form also provides the option of memorializing the account.
