What should happen to your Facebook account when you die? Starting from today, Facebook has given you the option to finally decide whether your profile should be deleted when you pass away, or have it maintained by somebody else on your behalf (called a “Legacy Contact” by Facebook).
“By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realized there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death,” the social networking site said in a blog post.
If you choose to set up a Legacy Contact – it is completely optional – the person nominated will be able to post on your timeline, respond to friend requests, and change your profile picture once Facebook is notified that you have died. You may also give them permission to download an archive of your entire Facebook life, including photos and videos.
However, said person will not be able to post as you, or see any of your messages. They also cannot delete content from your profile unless it is against Facebook’s community standards.
Facebook has said that it is rolling out the feature worldwide, starting in the United States. To find this feature, go to Security and find the Legacy Contact option.