The New Hampshire House of Representatives is voting on a bill that would allow the executor of an estate to have full legal access to and control over Social Media profiles, texting, and email accounts of a deceased family member. Allowing the executor legal access to make changes to their profiles. Such as having their Facebook page memorialized, shut down, or edit any social media profile and email accounts. In our Keene, NH Insurance office, part of what we do every day is Financial Planning and Life Insurance, and we hear questions like this all the time. We feel it is good to start having these conversations, and to start to pay attention to what we are leaving behind in our on-line life. To date social media sites and email providers are all making their own rules that are laid out in their terms of service agreements.
This New Hampshire bill has come with mixed responses, with opponents stating that it may be too far reaching, hard to enforce, or may conflict with federal legislation which is currently under consideration. While supporters believe that times are changing with most people’s lives being documented and executed on-line their needs to be a solution to this growing problem. Leaving the profiles inactive leaves them vulnerable to being hacked and it does nothing to memorialize the deceased, possibly causing confusion to people who may not have known they had passed.
Some people argue that that there are other functions that can tackle this problem. Everyone may have different wishes and how do we make sure these very personal choices are honored? One solution would be to include your wishes for your on-life in your will leaving control and instructions for your loved ones regarding your digital life after death. There are a few websites that have recognized this need and are offering a product to help make sure your wishes are fulfilled. Legacy Locker is a popular one, but it comes with a price and not everyone is willing to pay for such a service. Keeping an active list of all your social media profiles, email accounts, and passwords is probably the most helpful thing you can do to make sure that family will be able to easily access your accounts to fulfill your wishes.
Digital life after death can be a touchy subject but we feel it is something we should be considering. If you have not made a plan for your loved ones for your digital afterlife now might be a good time to start. If you have any questions about other types of end of life planning such as Life Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance, or Financial Planning you can contact Downey Insurance Group at our Keene, NH Insurance office at 888-895-3638.
