Facebook has recently changed its privacy policy for deceased users’ accounts. Prior to this change, upon a friend or family member’s request, and upon confirmation that the user had actually passed away, Facebook would restrict the deceased user’s account so only “friends” could view the “memorial” page. In order to respect the choices a Facebook user makes while still alive, Facebook will now continue to apply, after the user’s death, the privacy settings the user chose while alive.
When I first read about this, I have to admit I thought it was a little creepy. I’m not sure that I would want my Facebook page to live on after I die, or if I would want random people to be able to look at a deceased family member or friend’s Facebook page. However, after surfing the Internet for more information about this, I came upon a Huffington Post blog that opened my eyes to the benefit of this new Facebook policy.
The author of the blog, Jordi Lippe, discussed how, after her father passed away tragically, she found herself visiting his Facebook page, posting on his wall, and tagging him in pictures more often than visiting his gravesite. Ms. Lippe didn’t find this to be creepy, as I had sensed it would be; rather, she looked at it as an opportunity to feel more connected to her father, to honor him, and to connect with all of the other people who missed and loved her father.
Various state legislatures are trying to figure out how to deal with digital assets. For example, Virginia enacted a law enabling parents of deceased minors to obtain control of their child’s various online accounts. After the parent assumes his or her child’s terms of service agreements, presumably, that parent can delete those accounts.
What are your thoughts? Is Facebook right in honoring a person’s privacy choices after he or she passes away? Should minors using Facebook receive the same treatment after death, or are parents justified in wanting to take control of their child’s digital assets, including deleting or deactivating those accounts? Would you want your Facebook page to be memorialized?