Losing a loved one is one of the hardest moments in many people's lives. There are procedures such as burial plans and inheritance matters that one has to follow up on.
Another issue is the management of social media accounts like Facebook. How does one deactivate or go about securing the account of a departed soul.
Facebook has a feature - Memorialized accounts - which is a way for people on Facebook to remember and celebrate those who've passed away.
As a user who is worried on what might happen in the event of death, you can choose to either appoint a legacy contact to look after your memorialized account or have your account permanently deleted from Facebook.
[caption caption="Screenshot of what appears on top of an account that has been memorialized"]
[/caption]
If you don't choose to have your account permanently deleted, it will be memorialized if we become aware of your passing.
The social media platform suggests setting a legacy contact so your account can be managed once it's memorialized.
Memorialized accounts have the following key features:
- The word Remembering will be shown next to the person's name on their profile.
- Depending on the privacy settings of the account, friends can share memories on the memorialized timeline.
- Content the person shared (example: photos, posts) stays on Facebook and is visible to the audience it was shared with.
- Memorialized profiles don't appear in public spaces such as in suggestions for People You May Know, ads or birthday reminders.
- No one can log into a memorialized account.
- Memorialized accounts that don't have a legacy contact can't be changed.
- Pages with a sole admin whose account was memorialized will be removed from Facebook if we receive a valid request.
[caption caption="Screenshot of adding a legacy contact"]
[/caption]
Deleting Your Account
You can choose to have your account permanently deleted should you pass away. To do this:
- From the top right of Facebook, click and select Settings.
- From the left side, click Your Facebook Information.
- Click Delete Your Account and Information and follow the on-screen instructions.
For Friends and Family
If you'd like to create an additional place for people on Facebook to share memories of your loved one, the platform suggests creating a group.
Requesting for memorialization
To report a profile to be memorialized, simply contact Facebook with a request.
If Facebook is made aware that a person has passed away, it's their policy to memorialize the account.
Please keep in mind that they can't provide login information for someone else's account even under these circumstances. It's always against Facebook's policies to log into another person's account.
[caption caption="Screenshot of reporting a deceased person's profile"]
[/caption]
Adding and removing content from a memorialized account
Once an account is memorialized, content can't be removed from it. If the person added a legacy contact to their account, the legacy contact can do things like:
- Change the person's profile picture and cover photo.
- Write a pinned post on the timeline.
- Respond to new friend requests.
If you feel that a piece of content on a memorialized timeline doesn't follow the Facebook Community Standards, you can report it with the Report link located next to that piece of content.
Removing the account
Verified immediate family members may request the removal of a loved one’s account from Facebook.
Requesting Content from a memorialized account
Once an account is memorialized, the content the person shared (example: photos, posts) remains on Facebook and is visible to the audience with whom it was shared.
In rare cases, Facebook considers requests for additional account information or content.
You'll be required to provide proof that you're an authorized representative (example: family member) and a court order.
Please keep in mind that sending a request or filing the required documentation doesn't guarantee that we'll be able to provide you with the content of the deceased person's account.
In addition, Facebook will memorialize the deceased person's account once they receive your request.
