In sinister technology news, Facebook has announced that it will allow users to choose a “steward” to inherit their account when they die. The question is, who would be the best person to maintain your online ‘legacy’ once you’re gone?
According to this new policy whoever is chosen as the “digital heir” will be able to:
“[..]post an obituary, update information such as profile and cover photos, respond to new friend requests and moderate posts and messages left on the profile. Additional permission can be given that permits the contact to download an archive of posts and profile details, although this does not include private messages.”
It seems Facebook figured out that no one wants his or her private messages discovered, even in death. Maybe start clearing out that inbox though, just in case.
When it comes to choosing an heir, a BFF seems like the obvious choice. They already know all your dirty little secrets and could accurately represent your afterlife persona with a tasteful meme. Plus, who better to head up the Internet grieving process for the rest of your friends than the person who helped draft half the sexts hidden in your messenger?
Obviously, this is a lot of responsibility to heap on one person. They have their own profile and identity to manage, and maintaining your page might get a little morbid at times. But with so much of our lives and personality available online, it’s becoming a very real necessity to designate someone to manage your digital existence after you’re gone.
Facebook’s newest feature creates an alternative way to deal with loss and has made it possible to maintain a user’s legacy for years to come. Profiles can become a place for people to go to mourn and remember the life of someone they love.
As they say, with great power comes great responsibility, even on Facebook.
Image c/o tech.thaivisa.com
