Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/easy camera

Poll: Should relatives have access to a person's social media accounts after they die?

Policies on what happens to a person’s social media account when they die vary depending on the platform.

A GERMAN COURT has backed Facebook in its battle to reject a demand by the parents of a dead teenage girl for access to her account.

An appeals court ruled in favour of the website, which argued that opening up the account would compromise the privacy of the teenager’s contacts.

Policies on what happens to a person’s social media account when they die vary depending on the platform. Facebook, for example, provides an option for people to set to up a ‘legacy contact‘. This person will be tasked with looking after your account if it’s memorialised in the event of your death.

If you haven’t chosen a legacy contact, it can be difficult for your loved ones to gain access to your account.

We want to know what you think: Should next of kin be able to access a person’s social media accounts after they die?


Poll Results:

Yes (4864)
No (3796)
I'm not sure (1399)

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
60 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
    JournalTv
    News in 60 seconds