A Social Media Will? The US Government Thinks So.

The idea of a social media will may sound a bit silly, but according to our federal government, “[if] you have social media profiles set up online, you should create a statement of how you would like your online identity to be handled.” According to a recent government blog post: If you have social media profiles set up online, you should create a statement of how you would like your online identity to be handled. Just like a traditional will helps your survivors handle your physical belongings, a social media will spells out how you want your online identity to be handled.

Like with a traditional will, you’ll need to appoint someone you trust as an online executor. This person will be responsible for closing your email addresses, social media profiles, and blogs after you are deceased.

While there is no need to necessarily create a social media will, or integrate such provisions into an existing will, anyone with social media profiles, blogs, or even email addresses should consider how they want these accounts handled upon their death. Facebook now provides a help center posting telling users how to report a deceased person’s page and what needs to be done with it.

Some points to consider may be, as follows:

  • Create and keep updated a list of your social media profiles, blogs, and email addresses, with passwords;

  • Determine who should be your social media executor or the person responsible for carrying out how your accounts should be handled;

  • Keep apprised of the privacy policies and the terms of use of each website in which you have an account;

  • Determine whether you want to cancel your online social media profiles, or have them remain up and converted to a memorial page;

  • Memorialize your directives; and

  • If you change your mind on how you want something handled, remember to update your directives.

 

Klemchuk LLP is an Intellectual Property (IP), Technology, Internet, and Business law firm located in Dallas, TX.  The firm offers comprehensive legal services including litigation and enforcement of all forms of IP as well as registration and licensing of patents, trademarks, trade dress, and copyrights.  The firm also provides a wide range of technology, Internet, e-commerce, and business services including business planning, formation, and financing, mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, data privacy, and domain name dispute resolution.  Additional information about the IP law firm and its IP law attorneys may be found at www.klemchuk.com.

Klemchuk LLP hosts Culture Counts, a blog devoted to the discussion of law firm culture and corporate core values with frequent topics about positive work environment, conscious capitalism, entrepreneurial management, positive workplace culture, workplace productivity, and corporate core values.

Law, Internet & EcommerceDarin M. KlemchukComment