What happens to your Facebook account after you die?
As of 13 May 2015, Australians can now choose to have their Facebook Account deleted or appoint a Legacy Contact to manage their Facebook Account after they die.
You may think it a bit odd but there have been several cases where FB will not let family members have access to a deceased family members FB account or to retrieve photos or comments from it. I urge you all to set up a legacy contact in your FB account.
See https://www.facebook.com/help/1568013990080948 for more details.
What is a legacy contact?
A legacy contact is someone you choose to look after your account if it’s memorialized. Once your account is memorialized, your legacy contact will have the option to do things like:
- Write a pinned post for your profile (ex: to share a final message on your behalf or provide information about a memorial service)
- Respond to new friend requests (ex: old friends or family members who weren’t yet on Facebook)
- Update your profile picture and cover photo
You also have the option to allow your legacy contact to download a copy of what you’ve shared on Facebook, and we may add additional capabilities for legacy contacts in the future.
Your legacy contact can’t:
- Log into your account
- Remove or change past posts, photos and other things shared on your Timeline
- Read messages you’ve sent to other friends
- Remove any of your friends
Learn more about memorialization and how to add a legacy contact to your account.
If you’re a legacy contact, learn how to manage a memorialized profile. Note: You must be 18 or older to select a legacy contact.
