So what’s a Digital will?

Is there such thing as a digital will?  The internet allows people to join sites.  Some join dating or professional associations, others join social sites like Facebook, YouTube, etc.  People interact and engage with others for business or social reasons.  Now, here’s the important part.  A digital will is your statement of what happens to these accounts after you die.

Česky: Logo Facebooku English: Facebook logo Español: Logotipo de Facebook Français : Logo de Facebook Tiếng Việt: Logo Facebook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are several factors to consider when talking about this complex subject.

1. The Individual.  Your empowered to make decisions about the accounts.  I can’t remember every account, but I  know the ones that I use the most.  A solution is to create a list of your active accounts and decide what you want done with them after your death.  Facebook  has an “If I Die” feature that records a video and passes it on to beneficiaries and executors after proper proof of death.
2. Businesses.  A Sole Proprietor’s solution is like The Individual.  If you want members of your family to carry on the business account then state it in a will.  For Partnerships, discuss what happens when someone dies and if family members can take over the business.  For companies this is slightly harder.  So involve the lawyers.
3. Sites.  Popular sites have built larger data storage  warehouses.  The costs for housing business and personal information is expensive.  I’m sure these sites would like to delete accounts that are inactive for say 1-2 years.  I wonder if your connections on these sites will be notified of your death?

The solution isn’t easy.  Firms and legal people can help with this business subject.  These involve costs.  A suggested  inexpensive option is to write a list of your accounts and what you want done with them.  Then if anything happens to you, your family follows the instructions.    Include account names and passwords.  Geek Business suggests several solutions in their article.   Does your business have a digital will?  Are governments making enough relevant digital media laws?

Related articles

• What Happens to Our Social Media Accounts When We Die? (michaela1123.wordpress.com)
• “Your Digital Will” byAngela Saini

About Christopher Seeto

A Brand Enhancer in Communications. I fit naturally with technology, curious about science and avid consumer of news to gain insights. You can follow me on Google+ , LinkedIn , Twitter .