For many people, social media is a part of daily life. If you utilize social media a lot, your family may wish to preserve your accounts after your death. Having these accounts allows them to revisit posts you made or pictures you posted. It can help them stay connected with you after you are gone. Many people take comfort in having access to social media accounts of deceased friends and family.
Because of this, you may want to leave your social media accounts to your heirs in your estate plan. While this may seem easy, it is actually difficult. According to Forbes, terms of service and other restrictions on social media accounts can make it almost impossible to leave your account to another person. Even allowing access to your account can be tricky.
So, you need to first make sure you understand the terms of service. You may need to contact customer support to get details about your options.
Once you understand what you can and cannot do, you can treat your social media accounts like other assets in your estate plan. You want to make sure that you include your login information and keep that updated. Also, make sure to provide your heirs with access to your cell phone or email that they may need to verify identity when logging into these accounts.
If you do not handle your social media accounts in your estate plan, then it is highly likely that your heirs will not be able to access them at all after your death. Planning ahead can help avoid issues. This information is for education and is not legal advice.
