What Happens To Email And Social Networking Accounts After We Die?

[tysroby]

Have you ever given a thought that what will happen your Email Accounts and Social networking sites such as Facebook when you are no more? What will happen to the personal data and informations stored? Who will get access to your account?

The question often crosses our mind.Websites like Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo email accounts and Facebook have different policies for the deceased persons.

Accessing Gmail Account after a person’s death:

If a person has Gmail Account and he/she is dead and you want to get the ownership you will have to send a fax or an email to Google containing the following informations:

1. Your full name, physical mailing address, and verifiable email address.

2. A photocopy of your government issued ID or driver’s license.

3. The Gmail address of the individual who passed away.

4. Proof of death.

5. An email containing the full headers and the content of an earlier email message that the deceased person emailed you in past.

Postal Mail:

Google Inc.

Attention: Gmail User Support- Decedents’ Accounts

1600 Amphitheatre Parkway

Mountain View, CA 94043

Fax: 650-644-0358

Google will take 30 days to process and validate the documents that you have provided.

For more information on accessing a dead person’s Gmail go to this page.

Accessing Hotmail Account after a person’s death:

If you want to access Hotmail account of a deceased person then you need to fax or mail Hotmail and provide information like:

1. A photocopy of the death certificate for the user.

2. Paperwork stating that you are the benefactor or executor to the deceased’s estate and/or that you have Power of Attorney and are next-of-kin.

3. A photocopy of your driver’s license or a government issued identification.

4.A physical mailing address.

5. Date of birth,City, state and zip code.

6. Date when the account was created and the last date when it was accessed.

Postal Address:

Microsoft Corp.

Attn: Online Services Custodian of Records

1065 La Avenida, Building 4

Mountain View, CA, 94043

Fax No.425-708-0096.

For more information head over to this page.

If you have a Yahoo account then you can’t do much as inactive accounts are deleted after 6 months.

Accessing Facebook Account after a person’s death:

Facebook turns the Account into Memorial Page removes sensitive information and sets privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile.

For more information go to this page.

Via: TechTipsGeek

[LeetPirate]

Or you could write your secret answers or passwords down on your will or leave it in a safe place at home. Depends on if you could trust your family of course.

This is very useful information to know. I never even thought about these things but I do have my passwords written down in a secret location that people can access after I die.

[Atasas]

I have recently had to deal with few accounts(authorized) and M$(Hotmail) has been waste of time, as despite really needing some deleted emails and even having a password- no result, because they couldn't recover.... (they could have); other few I got in once got in to few previously, but pain in the a$se and time took me :frusty:  so yup- intend to die(or dont believe in being immortal)- write all on a textPad; rar' it with obvious password(without telling him) and send to somebody , you could trust, that in case of need to- somebody would get to... alternatively- burn a CD and keep it with you documents/will (just in case, you'd die or come across load of sensitive info :ph34r:)

Thanks for the heads up tysroby anw!

[anemones2]

haha.ahhaha....GHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAH!HHAHAH!!

yes in my will "sam... he... he left you his facebook account"

someone "You bastard I wanted it!"

Family fude ensues.

[Atasas]

haha.ahhaha....GHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAH!HHAHAH!!

yes in my will "sam... he... he left you his facebook account"

someone "You bastard I wanted it!"

Family fude ensues.

Now imagine, that if you do have FaceBook account- it is is similar style... would not be a good look,  if it would be looking like so in that extreme case to friends and relatives from far away- not getting informed and seeing no changes? :rolleyes:

[KotaXor]

Can still access my account from the nether world?

Like to keep everyone inform...especially nsaneforum account.

[Marik]

who comes up with this s**t?

Like I care what happens to my mail account after I die :lol: :rofl: :lmao:

[SwordOfWar]

I honestly never thought about it but it's nice that these big sites like Facebook have a way to deal with them. But I would probably also keep my sensitive information somewhere and give it to a family member for use after I die.

[tysroby]

The truth is I also didn't give this any thought. After all i am only 24. I don't think it would be healthy to have concerns regarding anything that involves me dying, at this age. But, regardless of that, this is an interesting article. In my case, my sister and my girlfriend know my passwords. But anyway, I like to believe, that in a time of grief, our close ones wouldn't be focusing their attention on deleting all our online accounts and profiles. I am sure that sooner or later they will be deleted automatically.

[DKT27]

But it regardless of that this is an interesting article. In my case, my sister and my girlfriend know my passwords.

I wont trust even my sister when it comes to passwords. No one (else) knows mine. :P