TikTok has added a new legacy account setting, which will enable users to choose what should happen to their account when they die.
The option, now available in the app’s account settings, will enable users to either nominate another user to look after their account, or have their profile deleted, as shown in these images below, posted on Threads by app researcher Radu Oncescu.
Other screenshots posted on Threads by Jonah Manzano show that within each option, users will also be able to choose what a legacy contact will be able to control.
To deactivate an account, TikTok requires that the removal request come from a family member or other legal representative. This will generally require proof of connection and a death certificate to action such requests.
These settings could provide some assurance to users that their information will be handled as they choose.
Which is a logical consideration in the social media era.
As reported by The Guardian, according to a study conducted by Oxford University in 2019, Facebook may be hosting as many as 4.9 billion deceased member profiles by 2100, which could exceed its living members.
Indeed, millions of social media users have already died, making this an important consideration in terms of privacy and storage capacity.
As such, it could be a worthy update for TikTok users in considering their online legacies.
