What to do with Your Deceased Loved One’s Social Media Accounts

There are a lot of loose ends to tie up after someone dies.  The fate of a Twitter account might seem trivial when a loved one dies.  Sure, social media handles probably won't be worth as much as bank accounts. They're easy to forget ... until they remind you they're still out there on the web.

When a late friend or family member dies, you don't want his or her name to pop up on someone's suggested friends list.  And something as simple as logging into Facebook and finding a birthday reminder or notification from your loved one can be incredibly upsetting.  It's awkward. It's sad. It's unnerving.

If you have your loved one’s username and password you can simply log in to the account, download anything that you want to save and then deactivate or delete the account.

If you do not have your loved one’s username and password, unfortunately none of the major social media sites will give it to you.  Each social media website has its own rules for dealing with death.  Deactivating these accounts involves filling out forms, proving the death actually occurred and proving you have the right to make these decisions. Here’s what you need to know for some of the major social media sites:

Facebook

Once a Facebook user has passed, Facebook provides two options regarding what to do with the account. Both options require an immediate family member or the Executor of the estate to fill out a “Special Request for Deceased Person’s Account” form:

• Close the account– Facebook will permanently delete the account.
• Turn the account into a "memorial page"– A memorialized account creates a space where friends and family can share photos, stories and memories. Facebook will leave the user profile as is, add a “Remembering” label beside the user’s name, and prevent the profile from showing up as an active account, such as in the “People You May Know” section.Note: While a Facebook user is alive they can appoint a "legacy contact" to manage this memorial page after they pass. In this case the legacy contact will be able to update the profile photo and respond to friend requests. They will not be able to read your messages or change things that you shared in the past.

YouTube

An immediate family member or legal representative/executor can fill out a form and upload a copy of the death certificate and, in some cases, other documentation to:

• Close the account– The account will be permanently deleted.
• Obtain data from the account– If your request is granted, you will have to obtain a court order issued in the United States, and this court order must be written using the language that Google will provide.

Twitter

Deactivate the account– The only option that Twitter provides is to deactivate the deceased user’s account. After you fill out the form they’ll send a confirmation email with further instructions regarding providing a copy of the death certificate and other data.

Pinterest

Deactivate the account– The only option that Pinterest provides is to deactivate the deceased user’s account. Family members must use Pinterest’s online contact system to get the process started.

Instagram

Instagram offers two options:

• Remove the account– Only verified immediate family members can request the removal of a deceased person’s account from Instagram.
• Turn the account into a "memorial account"– The request can be submitted by a family member or friend, and requires a death certificate or other proof of death. Memorialized accounts cannot be changed in any way, and do not appear any differently than accounts that have not been memorialized.

LinkedIn

Remove the account– The only option that LinkedIn provides is to remove the account. The request can be made by a family member, friend, co-worker or classmate.