Five Things to Do When Planning Your Digital Death
Most adults are required to have a legal will, which contains instructions on what should happen to your assets if you die. The will is not just for the elderly – anyone can get sick or have an accident that will lead to their death. And while wills were mostly focused on physical goods, many of us own valuable digital assets that may become inaccessible when you die. What happens to them?
# 1 Usernames and passwords
In a sense, these are the simplest. Most of us probably have more user accounts on different services than we can count. But there are some key ones like online banking, general merchant accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets.
I propose to write down the account details (for example, on real paper!) And seal them in an envelope that is in another envelope with the message “Only for opening in case of my death” on the front side.
Then hide the letter in a safe place, such as a lawyer’s office or somewhere else. Or give it to a trusted person, for example, the executor of your will.
# 2 Multi-factor authentication
You must use two-factor or multi-factor authentication for every service that offers it. You will need to look at how each authentication service works, but many have the option to have the second factor available from more than one location. For example, if you are using Google Authenticator, you can set it up on a second device.
# 3 Digital Assets
This is where it can get tricky. If you’re like me, you’ve amassed a lot of music, movies, and TV shows in the days before streaming services hit the mainstream. If you don’t have physical copies of these assets, accessing them from cloud services can become difficult.
When you buy a song or movie from a digital service, you are not actually buying a copy of the asset. In most cases, you buy the right to access the content and this right is non-transferable.
I have tons of apps, movies and music that I have purchased through Google Play, Apple iTunes, and app stores. This is mostly from Apple, so I set up Family Sharing so my wife and kids can access the content I purchased. So even if I suddenly leave this existence, they will still be able to watch my films and listen to my tunes.
Thus, while the rights are not transferable, access to your digital assets can be preserved. But do not forget about the user accounts associated with this content, as they may be needed if the content is protected with DRM.
No. 4 Power of Attorney
While this is not entirely about your digital life, giving financial and medical power of attorney to someone you trust is very important. These are legal documents that allow someone to make decisions on your behalf.
For example, when my parents were getting old, financial and medical powers of attorney were distributed between me and my brothers and sisters so that we could make decisions on behalf of our parents if they could not.
These documents can help banks and other authorities provide access to accounts that might otherwise be blocked.
# 5 Social networks
Accessing social media accounts may seem trivial, but it can be important. When someone dies, one of the most difficult tasks is to notify everyone affected as soon as possible. When death is expected, families often draw up a communications plan so that family and friends are informed in a timely and respectful manner.
Different social networks can do this. For example, Facebook allows you to define an “old contact” in your personal settings. This is the one who can manage your account in the event of your death or incapacity. Pick someone you can trust and let them know they have this responsibility.
Some personal experience
My father was a very organized person.
Before his death, he prepared a folder on his computer, which he told us all about. It contained copies of important documents and a CV with key dates and locations, as well as other information that made planning for his funeral much less stressful.
Although it was a really difficult time, having this information was a great blessing to us. While you may not care what happens after you die, there will be people who grieve during this time, and a little organization can help them.