What happens to your Facebook after you die?

I don't know about you, but I have wondered a time or two what would happen to my online profiles such as Facebook if I should happen to die. Do they just float around in cyberspace forever, remaining exactly as I left them after my last status update, or will they eventually be cancelled for non-activity? I found an article on Time.com that answers that question.

On October 26, Max Kelly, Facebook's head of security, announced the company's policy of memorializing profiles of deceased users. The profiles are taken out of public search results, they are sealed from any future log-in attempts and their "wall" is left open for the family and friends to leave comments and pay their respects.

The company says that this has been an option since the early days of Facebook. They decided to publicize the policy after a recent criticism of the site. This was caused when a new version of the site's homepage was unveiled October 23. The new version automatically generates suggestions of friends to "reconnect" with. Almost immediately Facebook was hit with complaints from users claiming to have recieved suggestions concerning friends who had passed away.

This prompted Facebook to publicize the policy regarding users who have died in order to explain the process better. According to Kelly, a friend or family member of the deceased person needs to contact Facebook to request that the profile be memorialized. Facebook follows up by requiring proof, such as a link to an obituary, to discourage pranksters. Facebook also allows the option of deleting the profile altogether.


Maybe it's a little morbid of me, but I have wondered what happens when a Facebook user dies. If that person is the only one with the password, what then? I assumed the profile couldn't be cancelled by anyone other than the owner, and that the profile would just float around in internet archives indefinitely. I have been fortunate so far to not experience this firsthand. No one close to me has died since I was little.

I think it was smart of Facebook to publicly explain the process involved in memorializing or deleting the profile of someone who has died. The only thing I think could have been done better is to have done it a long time ago. The new updates to the homepage suggested reconnecting with those who have died and that upset some people. Understandably so. There has to be someone working for Facebook who's responsibility it is to catch things like this. I think it's unacceptable that the possibility of these "friend suggestions" was not brought to the attention of Facebook users prior to the new homepage being launched.

Which brings me to another thing that Facebook does that's kind of annoying. What's with the constant changes and "updates?" Enough already! I joined Facebook back in 2004 when it was JUST for college students and didn't have all of these extra applications and quizzes and Mafia this and Farmville that.

Why is this stuff necessary? I will say that I like a few of the changes they have made. Some things, like the status updates or Facebook mobile are okay. I'm even okay with Facebook being open to everyone now. It's kind of fun to be able to reconnect with people who aren't in college somewhere.

I also appreciate Facebook's attention to protecting the privacy of its users. So far they're doing pretty well. My only concern is that it could be on its way to becoming more like Myspace. I deleted my Myspace account a long time ago. It's become nothing more than a playground for perverts and pedophiles.

Okay, enough ranting for one day. I could go on forever about the evils of Myspace.