Social media inheritance: let your account live forever

Have you ever thought about what happens to these email IDs or social media accounts if something unfortunate happens to you? Who inherits them, or are they dissolved forever? What if they have important information saved?

Where the law stands

The Indian judicial system is yet to come up with a law for social media inheritance. In fact, there is no specific ruling as to what happens to digital assets like personal photos, important information, or similar things once the account holder is no more. In 2018, a landmark ruling in Germany gave a woman access to her deceased daughter's Facebook account.

Platform-specific options

Despite the lack of a law, social media giants have come up with their respective versions of what happens to the account of a deceased person. Facebook has a feature that 'memorialises' the account of someone who is no more if notified about the same with valid proof. The platform also allows you to add a legacy contact who can access your account in unforeseen situations.

Similarly, Google has an Inactive Account Manager that lets you decide what happens to your data if you stop using your account. You can choose to share data with trusted contacts or delete the account entirely.

Plan your digital legacy

If you want to leave behind your social media accounts or digital assets for someone or allow them to get access to your account, you can start with saving these details in a portfolio along with all other estate plans you have made.