The internet has made a lot of progress and growth because in many ways it has become a central part of our lives. We have gone from looking up song lyrics and watching cat videos to earning a living online. We also put a lot of ourselves on online platforms like social media. Those posts, pictures and more are our digital footprint and are in fact our online legacy. What comes next is going to sound morbid, but we need to think about what happens to our data when we die.
As it stands, when people pass on, their e-possessions are left inaccessible to their next of kin. Some platforms delete inactive accounts after a certain period. Google marks an account as inactive after nine months of no use, proceeding to delete that account’s G-mail and other data.
Several online platforms have taken note of this problem and create online dead mans’ switches. Google launched its own version of an Inactive Account Manager in 2013. You can tell Google what to do with your data after you have been inactive for a period from three months to one year. Their systems will then send warning messages to an alternate e-mail account before they take the predefined actions. Depending on your selected settings, up to ten people can be sent several parts of your Google account data. After that, Google can then delete your account if you so chose.
Google has taken strides with this feature and improved it over the years. All the other big-tech players seem to be quiet about this. Facebook has a rudimentary feature that can turn your account into a memorial page after your death. The feature could do with a lot of improvements. Twitter, Amazon, Linkedin and a lot others are all but quiet about this.
A person can have over ten online accounts that are important. Some of them may not be linked to their primary email accounts, making passing on the accounts difficult. There are several independent developers who have taken on this problem with their custom solutions. Deadmansswitch.net is one such platform, and Mozilla has a browser add-on that does the same called Send Later.
What these custom solutions essentially do is send an email to pre-set recipients once you fail to check in over a certain period. The email can have multiple recipients and can also include attachments. You could set this up by adding your accounts and logins. Once you fail to check in three times after several email prompts, your switch will be activated.
Another good option is online password managers that encrypt your stored passwords like Keepass. You can leave the key to access the service in your will with a lawyer. Password managers are also good to use even during your day-to-day life as they help you keep non-guessable passwords.
Relying on your phone / sim card as a means to pass on your digital life is not a good idea. Yes, your next of kin can use the courts to gain access to your sim card but why add complications for the grieving? Also, some platforms like Facebook have a clear distinction between contractual relations and digital assets. Just because they have a business deal with you does not translate to them handing over that business once you pass on.
We have to cut this short, it has been a dark and gloomy article but its something that everyone with a digital presence needs to consider.
What’s your take? Cancel reply