The beneficiaries you’ve named might get your safety deposit box, bank accounts and stocks, but access to your digital content isn’t guaranteed. Service providers are beginning to recognize the need for more clarity, but in the meantime you can start planning ahead by learning your state laws, reading the fine print in your accounts’ terms of service, and consulting a knowledgeable lawyer.
One of my childhood friends, who was also a Facebook friend, died in 2009. Yet I still get messages from Facebook encouraging me to connect with his Facebook page. Has that ever happened to you?
Or have you ever sent an email to a colleague, only to learn from other sources that the person is deceased? What happens to their digital content? Who has access to their social media accounts and webmails?