After someone dies their possessions, property, and now digital presence will all be manged and controlled by someone. Facebook added a “Legacy Contact” option to pick someone to choose what to do with your profile and messages when you pass away.
After the person who is the legacy contact, contacts Facebook they will have access to the account. They won’t have full control but have certain options that Facebook outlined:
- Write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline (for example, to announce a memorial service or share a special message)
- Respond to new friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook
- Update the profile picture and cover photo
There is still a level of privacy since the legacy contact won’t be able to view private messages. The contact can download photos if you give them permission. While this idea is great some people may want to erase their account and drift away forever.
Either way the legacy contact is a great option as some Facebook users age and their accounts go into a limbo when they pass. Tell us in the comments below if you’ll set a legacy contact or if you would just want your account deleted forever.