Digital Life After Death - What You Need to Know

It is common in today’s Internet of Things for your personal life to be closely intertwined with social media accounts, websites, digital conversations, online bank accounts, and online payments and so on. In totality, they are your digital assets and need to be treated like any other physical and financial assets.

Anyone holding digital assets can’t ignore what happens to these assets post their death. It is your digital legacy. Here are some guidelines you can follow to protect your digital assets and avoid risks to those who are left behind.

Digital Asset Register

Unknowingly, your life has become digital in a variety of ways. You, therefore, need to identify these assets by preparing a register clearly mentioning them and their location. Things like free or paid book and music downloads etc. may not be transferable after death. There may be also online bank accounts and investments which need to be entered into these register which will help your family deal with them.

Digital Presence

Your emails, websites and social accounts are all part of your digital footprint. What happens to it after your death? Will your loved ones have to struggle to close them to avoid any misuse? Have I tried to understand the privacy policies to which I always agree? These are the issues you need to look at while you are alive and take the necessary steps to ensure their proper closure.

Handling Digital Content Right

You may create a lot of digital content that is important to your family while you are active on social platforms like emails, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Skype, WordPress etc. The service providers’ privacy policies would close access of these to your loved ones after your death. You need to consider recording important content for documentation later on.

It is important to regularly update the list of all your digital assets. Also, leave instructions regarding their location and how they should be dealt with.

At Nutmeg State Cremation Society, we provide affordable funeral and cremation services. Feel free to contact us for any more information.