It's been quite some time since Facebook has been the most important platform for connecting with friends and relatives over the internet. You may have done that already. So, you have your Facebook profile and there are people on the friend list there. People send you messages and friend requests. You respond to them on a regular basis. There are billions such accounts on Facebook. But are you sure all of them are active? In fact, no one can be sure. This is because, there are quite a few people who are no more, yet their accounts have remained active on the social media platform, as if giving them the chance to live on even after their death.
Ghosts on Facebook?
Facebook seems almost to be a virtual memorial, as around 20 to 30 million accounts that are live on the website belong to people who have died. But they were the only people who knew their user IDs and the passwords. So, no one else is able to log in to their profiles, which remain inactive. Besides, with time, as the website's young user base will age, many of them will die. According to a study, by around 2060s and 2070s, there will be more accounts of dead people on the website.
What Happens to the Dead Person's Profile?
So, what will happen to those accounts of these people who have passed away after creating the profiles on Facebook? Will they be shown in the friend suggestion when someone searches for people they know, even when they are no more? These were quite common even a few days back. People seemed to continue living on in Facebook when, in reality, they were no more. Friends who did not know of their demise would send messages or post on their wall. And even those who were aware of the sad incident would continue interacting with them on Facebook - by posting on their wall, tagging photos, and so on.
And this continued to happen until someone put up a 'Memorialization Request' to Facebook about the profile. When the account gets memorialized, updates happening there can be seen by the confirmed friends only. However, someone can also request Facebook to delete the account of a deceased person.
These are precisely what could happen to a dead person's profile a few days back. But there has been an addition to these as well. Facebook has recently made a smart move that has made the process of managing the profile of a deceased person an easier thing.
Facebook Legacy to Carry On
Want complete control of your Facebook account even after you pass away? You can do that too! All you need to have is a 'legacy account'!
Facebook has recently added a new thing in its security settings. A Facebook user will be able to add a 'legacy contact' to his or her account. This contact will be able to manage the Memorial Facebook account once the user passes away. So, how will this help solve the problem of the increasing number of profiles of dead people on Facebook? According to a report, the legacy contact can perform a number of tasks on behalf of the deceased account holder.
Here's a quick look at some of the activities he can perform once the person, who has put him as a legacy contact, dies:
- Post an obituary or message
- Respond to new friend requests
- Update profile pictures and cover photos
- Moderate the condolences and memories posted by existing friends
In fact, if the legacy contact enjoys a wider permission, he can "download an archive of profile information and posts."
This new feature added by Facebook is an effort to create a living will for you on your social media profile. This will make the process of accessing your account easier for your close ones after you have passed away. Thus, this procedure can ensure that none of your friends will remain unaware of your death and continue messaging you on Facebook chat. Besides, they will not tag you any more with images as well. Instead, the owner of the Facebook legacy account will help to spread the world about your death, so that your friends and near ones on Facebook can know about it. They will also be able to post to remember you after Facebook implements the Memorialization Request.