Without the deceased's passwords, it is often very difficult, if not impossible, to request the deletion of a Facebook account. ❌
The death of a loved one is always a difficult time. In addition to mourning, you also have to take care of the administrative procedures and practical aspects of the disappearance. These aspects include the question of what to do with its digital accounts such as, for example, managing or deleting the deceased's Facebook profile.
Facebook is the world's most popular social network, with over 2 billion monthly active users. It is therefore likely that the deceased had a Facebook accountwhere she shared photos, videos, messages and memories with friends and family.
- What happens to this account after death?
- Can I delete, modify or keep it?
- Who can apply?
- What are the risks of not doing so?
- What steps do I need to take?
- What are the myths and mistakes to avoid?
We'll answer all these questions and give you tips on how to manage a deceased person's Facebook account simply and efficiently. 👇
Why manage a deceased person's Facebook account?
There are several reasons why it is important to take over the management of a deceased person's Facebook account:
1. Respect the wishes of the deceased
Perhaps the deceased had expressed the wish to see his Facebook account deleted or kept after his death.
➡️ It is therefore important to respect his wishes and not to go against his choices.
2. Protecting the deceased's privacy
If the deceased's Facebook account remains active, it may be exposed to hacking, identity theft, spam or unwanted messages.
➡️ Secure or delete the account to avoid these risks.
3. Preserving the memory of the deceased
The deceased's Facebook account can be kept for serve as a place of remembrance and sharing for loved ones.
➡️ It can also be used to retrieve photos, videos or messages that bear witness to a person's life and personality.
4. Facilitating mourning
Managing a deceased person's Facebook account can help to mourn and accept the reality of death.
➡️ It can also help you feel closer to the deceased and to pay tribute to him.
Who can manage a deceased person's Facebook account?
There are two ways to manage a deceased person's Facebook account:
The person designated by the deceased
This is the contact legateeA person whom the account holder can choose during his lifetime to manage his account after his death.
The contact can :
- ✅ modify certain profile information,
- ✅ publish a message in memory of the deceased,
- ✅ respond to friend requests
- ✅ or change your profile picture.
He can't:
- ❌ log in to the account,
- ❌ read private messages
- ❌ or delete publications or friends.
The legatee contact can also request account deletion if the deceased has not indicated a preference.
A family member or close friend of the deceased
If the deceased has not chosen a legatee contact on the platform, a family member or close friend of the account holder, may make a request to Facebook.
This person can ask Facebook :
- ✅ delete the account,
- ✅ to transform it into a commemorative account.
A commemorative account is a profile that remains visible on Facebook, indicating that the person is deceased.
Friends can still post messages in memory of the deceased on his or her diary, but the account no longer appears in friend suggestions, birthdays or ads.
A family member or close friend of the deceased must provide Facebook with proof of death (such as a death certificate or an obituary) and proof of relationship to the deceased.
How to manage a Facebook account after a death?
To manage a deceased person's Facebook account, follow these steps:
Check whether the deceased had chosen a legatee contact
To find out if the account holder had designated a legacy contact, go to their profile and click on the "More" button at the bottom of their cover photo.
- ✅ If the "Bequeathed contact" button appears, this means that there is a bequeathed contact.
- ❌ If the button doesn't appear, it means there isn't one.
In any case, he may have used a service to secure and transmit his accesses, such as Legapass.
Contact the legatee if possible
If the deceased had chosen a legatee contact, it is preferable to contact him to ask what he intends to do with the account. ☎️
The legatee contact must respect the wishes of the deceased. If the deceased did not leave any instructions, he/she can request that the account be deleted.
The legatee contact may also agree to cede his or her role to another relative of the deceased if the latter so wishes.
Request account deletion or commemoration if necessary
If the deceased had not chosen a legacy contact, or if the legacy contact does not respond or refuses to manage the account, then a request must be made to Facebook. 📝
You can ask the platform to delete the account, or turn it into a memorial account.
To do this, fill in an online form and provide the required documents. 🪪 Facebook will review the request and respond as soon as possible.
Here are the links to the online forms:
What are the risks of leaving a Facebook account abandoned?
Failure to manage a deceased person's Facebook account can have negative consequences for the deceased's loved ones and for his or her memory. Here are some examples of risks :
1. Piracy risk ⚠️
If the deceased's Facebook account remains active, it can be hacked by malicious parties who can access your personal data, private messages or contacts.
These people can then use this information to impersonate the deceased, send spam or scams, or damage the deceased's reputation.
2. Risk of identity theft ⚠️
Leaving a Facebook profile abandoned opens the door to hackers who will gladly take it back and pretend to be the person.
They can then publish misleading or offensive messages, contact friends or family, or take advantage of the trust of people who are unaware of the death.
These malicious people can also use the deceased's account to access other online accounts or services linked to his or her email address or telephone number.
3. Risk of emotional distress ⚠️
Leaving the account active can also cause emotional distress for loved ones who continue to receive notifications or reminders related to its activity.
For example, they can see their name appear in friend suggestions, birthdays or advertisements.
They may also receive automatic messages or invitations to events that are no longer relevant.
4. Risk of memory loss ⚠️
If the deceased's Facebook account is deleted without due care, it may result in the loss of the deceased's history and memory.
In fact, the deceased's Facebook account may contain photosand videos or messages that bear witness to his life and personality.
These elements can be invaluable to those close to the deceased who wish to remember and pay tribute to him or her.
4 mistakes to avoid when taking over the management of a Facebook account
There are several mistakes to avoid when managing a deceased person's Facebook account:
1. Try to log into the deceased's account without a password ❌
It is impossible to connect to the deceased's account without knowing his or her password and e-mail address.
⚠️ Attention, you can block the account if you try to guess or reset the deceased's password. Facebook has implemented special measures for security and privacy reasons.
2. Recover account data without owner's consent ❌
It is impossible to retrieve data from the deceased's account, such as photos, videos or messages, without the owner's consent.
Facebook does not provide this data to the deceased's next of kin, unless he/she had activated the "Download your information" function during his/her lifetime.
In this case, the legatee contact can request a copy of the deceased's account data.
3. Modify the contents of a deceased person's account ❌
It is impossible to modify the content of the deceased's account, such as posts, comments or friends, without having access to the account.
Facebook does not allow relatives to modify the deceased's activity on the social network, unless the latter had chosen a legatee contact, or had used a access procurement service such as Legapass.
In this case, the legatee contact can modify certain profile information, publish a message in memory of the deceased or change the profile photo.
4. Transfer the deceased's account to another person ❌
It is impossible to transfer the deceased's account to another person, such as an heir or friend, if you are not the legatee contact.
Facebook does not allow relatives of the deceased to assign an account to someone else, except if the person had chosen a legatee contact. In this case, the contact legatee may agree to hand over his or her role to another relative of the deceased if the latter so wishes.
In conclusion, managing a deceased person's Facebook account is an important step in respecting their wishes, protecting their privacy, preserving their memory and making mourning easier.
There are 3 ways to manage a deceased person's Facebook account:
- ✅ or through a contact legatee chosen by the account holder,
- ✅ or by asking Facebook directly,
- ✅ or by recovering the person's access data from a service such as Legapass if the person had opened an account during their lifetime and entered their access codes.
⚠️ If you wish to request it on Facebook, you will need to follow the steps indicated by the platform and provide the required documents. You should also avoid any errors that could complicate the situation or harm the deceased.
➡️ We know how complicated bereavement can be, and how easy it is to get lost in the administrative maze. That's why we decided to launch Legapass, an online platform to support you during the handover process of your digital assets.
With Legapass, you can :
- ✔️ Designate a legacy contact for your Facebook and other online accounts
- ✔️ Express your wishes concerning the deletion or keeping your accounts
- ✔️ Send your digital data to friends and family in complete safety after your death
- ✔️ Personalized support and legal assistance
Create your Legapass account for free 🔥 and enjoy all the benefits!
Your online accounts are a part of your legacy. You can make them survive you !
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