Facebook will now be with you till death, and beyond
Facebook users can now nominate their “heirs” who will be able to manage the account when the owner passes away
PHOTO: AFP
Worried about what will happen to your Facebook account after you die? Worry no more as a new feature introduced by the social networking giant on Thursday allows users to choose a ‘legacy contact’ who will inherit your account after you die.
"Facebook is a place to share and connect with friends and family. For many of us, it's also a place to remember and honor those we've lost," said a Facebook blog post announcing the update.
Google was the first to introduce the feature back in 2013, allowing users to choose heirs for Gmail, cloud storage and other services.
Previously, Facebook accounts of deceased members were frozen once the site noticed their owners had passed away. In its stead, a memorial page used to be created.
"By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realised there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death," the blog added.
The person who inherits the account will be able to update the profile and cover picture, and respond to friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook. They will also be able to access photo and post archives.
"Other settings will remain the same as before the account was memorialised," the blog post said. "The legacy contact will not be able to log in as the person who passed away or see that person's private messages."
The memorialised profiles have also been redesigned to pay tribute to the deceased by adding “Remembering” above their name. Legacy contacts will aslo be able to pin a post to the top of their Timeline.
The new policy will be first implemented in the US before being expanded to other countries.
"Facebook is a place to share and connect with friends and family. For many of us, it's also a place to remember and honor those we've lost," said a Facebook blog post announcing the update.
Google was the first to introduce the feature back in 2013, allowing users to choose heirs for Gmail, cloud storage and other services.
Previously, Facebook accounts of deceased members were frozen once the site noticed their owners had passed away. In its stead, a memorial page used to be created.
"By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realised there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death," the blog added.
Both the Facebook website and app have this Legacy Contact setting under the Security option. PHOTO: FACEBOOK
The person who inherits the account will be able to update the profile and cover picture, and respond to friend requests from family members and friends who were not yet connected on Facebook. They will also be able to access photo and post archives.
"Other settings will remain the same as before the account was memorialised," the blog post said. "The legacy contact will not be able to log in as the person who passed away or see that person's private messages."
The memorialised profiles have also been redesigned to pay tribute to the deceased by adding “Remembering” above their name. Legacy contacts will aslo be able to pin a post to the top of their Timeline.
The new policy will be first implemented in the US before being expanded to other countries.