What happens to your Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts when you die?

It’s spooky season. You receive a Facebook friend request from someone already dead. The hair at the back of your neck stands up – is it a ghost contacting you from beyond the grave?

Probably not. Most likely, the profile is under the control of a family member of the deceased. If the original owner shared their log in credentials with a loved one before passing away, then this explains why the account is still active after their death.

But this begs the question: What happens to your social media accounts when you die?

Unless you have the foresight to share your password with someone, the profile will stay the way it was when you left it. which also puts it at risk of someone hacking into the account.

Except for TikTok, which doesn't have any mechanism in place yet for deceased users, social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram offer a few ways to secure your account after death, so you and your loved ones can rest easy that your profile will not fall under someone else’s control when you pass on.

Memorialize your Facebook profile

On Facebook, you have the option to either delete or memorialize your profile.

Deletion is self-explanatory: When you die or become medically incapacitated, the account will disappear from the platform.

Memorialization, meanwhile, means that the profile will stay on Facebook so that your loved ones can look back on the memories you left behind.

You can set this up by assigning a contact to look after your profile when you are gone. They will not have full control over the account; they can just update your profile picture and cover photo, accept friend requests in your behalf, manage tribute posts, or request deletion of the account.

They will not be able to see your messages, remove or add friends, or even log in.

You can give your legacy contact permission to download content you shared on Facebook, but this is optional.

Once you have chosen a legacy contact, Facebook will draft a message you can send to notify them of your decision. You can edit the message before sending.

Not everyone can have a legacy contact, though. You need to be 18 years old or older in order to select one.

When you choose to memorialize your profile, the word “Remembering” will be added next to your name, when you are gone and your legacy contact has started looking after your account.

Your friends can still share memories on your timeline and any content you've posted will remain visible — but both depend on your privacy settings.

Your profile will not appear in People You May Know, birthday reminders, or advertisements.

If you do not have a legacy contact, your family can still request to memorialize or delete your profile. They will be asked to provide the date of your death, a documentation of your death (death certificate, obituary, memorial card, or other proof), and a valid email address so they can be contacted.

If you prefer deletion, a death certificate is the fastest way to get the request processed. Without it, your family will be asked to provide a proof of authority, such as a power of attorney, a birth certificate (if you are a minor), last will and testament, or an estate letter, as well as other proof that you passed away.

Deletion will take a couple of days, but this will not erase your messaging history. That means your loved ones may still have access to messages you sent.

Close your X account

Unlike Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) does not have an option to memorialize your account after your death. You loved ones, however, can request for the account to be removed from the platform.

Requests can be made through filling out this form and waiting for X to get in touch through email. They will ask for information about the deceased, death certificate, and identification of the person requesting for account removal.

In case you become medically incapacitated, the same process applies. In addition to the documents above, your loved one will be asked for your identification and power of attorney authorizing them to act on your behalf.

Memorialize your Instagram account

Like Facebook, Instagram offers the option to memorialize or delete your account after you pass away. However, there is no legacy contact who can manage the profile on your behalf.

Your loved ones have to report your death to the platform and may request memorialization or removal. They will be asked for the necessary information and documentation: proof of death, birth certificate, death certificate, and proof of authority.

Upon memorialization, Instagram will secure your account. The word “Remembering” will also appear next to your name. No one will be able to log in to the account and no changes can be made on the profile. The account will not appear in certain places on Instagram that may upset your loved ones, such as Explore.

There you have it! This Undas, perhaps it's time to start thinking about what you want to happen to your digital footprint when the time comes. 

— LA, GMA Integrated News