What Happens to Your Online Accounts When You Die?

As more of our lives move online, we accumulate a vast array of digital assets—social media profiles, email accounts, cloud storage, and even online banking – but what happens to these online accounts when we die? In Canada, the question of digital estate planning is becoming increasingly important as there are no standardized laws that directly address digital accounts in the same way traditional assets are handled in a will. Here’s a breakdown of what happens to your digital accounts after you pass away and how you can prepare for the future.

Canada, like many other countries, is still catching up with the concept of digital inheritance. Unlike physical assets such as property or money, the rules governing digital assets such as online accounts, emails, and social media profiles are not uniformly regulated. Digital platforms typically control the fate of your online presence through their terms of service agreements, meaning the company managing the service often dictates what happens to the account when a user dies.

In most cases, your heirs do not have automatic access to your digital accounts. Unless you've made specific arrangements for them to access these accounts, they may find themselves at the mercy of each platform’s unique policies.

Social Media Accounts

Each social media platform handles accounts of deceased users differently, but the most common approaches are memorialized profiles, account closure, or deletion.

• Facebook: Upon notification of a user's death, Facebook offers the option of memorializing the account. A memorialized account serves as a place for friends and family to share memories, but it remains locked from further login. Facebook also allows users to appoint a "legacy contact" to manage the account after their death. Alternatively, you can set up your profile to be deleted upon notification of your passing. To set up either of these options, visit Facebook’s help center here for instructions: Facebook help
• Instagram: Similar to Facebook, Instagram offers the option of memorializing an account. However, there’s no option for a legacy contact to manage it. Friends and family can also request that Instagram delete the account. Further instructions can be found here: Instagram help

• X (Twitter): X does not offer memorialization options. Instead, they allow immediate family members or authorized individuals to request the account's removal by providing proof of death and their relationship to the deceased. Further Information: X / Twitter help

• LinkedIn: LinkedIn also offers a Memorialized option for a deceased person’s account. An authorized person of their estate can make a request for the account to be either memorized or closed. More information here: LinkedIn help

• Google Accounts (Gmail, YouTube, etc.): Google offers an “Inactive Account Manager” tool where users can designate trusted contacts to be notified if the account is inactive for a specific period. These contacts can then access the account or have it deleted. Without this setup, family members must go through Google’s support system, which involves submitting documentation for account access or closure. To set up the Inactive Account Manager, login to your Google account and go to https://myaccount.google.com/inactive to start the process.

Digital Assets with Financial Implications

• Online Banking and Financial Accounts: The management of financial accounts after death is more clearly regulated, as banking institutions in Canada fall under specific legal guidelines. These accounts will be handled as part of the estate, with an executor responsible for closing or transferring them. Still, access to online banking or investment accounts might require the executor to provide death certificates and other documentation.

• Cryptocurrency: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum present additional complications. Since they are decentralized and only accessible via private keys, if you don’t provide your executor or family with the private keys, your cryptocurrency could become inaccessible forever. It’s critical to store private keys securely and ensure your executor knows how to retrieve them.

Cloud Storage and Subscription Services

• Many of us store personal files, photos, and other important documents on cloud platforms like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox. These platforms have varying policies regarding deceased users. Most of them require death certificates and proof of authority (such as being the executor) to grant access to an account, if at all. In some cases, the account and all its contents may be deleted, leaving loved ones without access to important digital documents and memories.

• Subscription services like Netflix, Spotify, and Amazon Prime generally terminate service once payment stops or once the death is reported.

How to Prepare for Your Digital Afterlife

Given the uncertainty and complexity of managing digital assets, here are some steps you can take to ensure your online presence is handled according to your wishes:

1. Document Your Wishes:
   Make a list of all your digital accounts so your executor has an updated list to reference. Provide specific instructions about your wishes in managing your digital accounts upon your death. This could include social media accounts, email, and any other digital property. This list can be kept with your will or in a secure location accessible to your executor.

2. Create a Digital Estate Plan:
   Ensure you include your digital assets with financial value in your will. Outlining how you would like these assets to be distributed when you pass should be treated like any other physical asset that you own.

3. Use Tools Offered by Platforms:
   Many platforms offer features like Facebook’s legacy contact or Google’s Inactive Account Manager. Set these up so your loved ones have a clear path to managing or memorializing your accounts.

4. Store Passwords Securely:
   Use a password manager to securely store your login information and ensure that a trusted person or your executor has access to it after your death.

The fate of your digital assets is largely determined by the policies of each service provider and the planning you’ve done beforehand. As the digital world becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, preparing for your digital legacy is as important as preparing for the distribution of physical assets. By taking the right steps now, you can ensure that your online presence is managed according to your wishes and that your loved ones aren’t left in the dark.