Do you know what will happen to your social media accounts or cryptocurrencies after your death? An expert advises what everyone should do just in case

The purpose of a digital testament is to make the work of estate administrators – often relatives – easier. Without a summary of the services and devices used, figuring them out can be challenging detective work, which requires a lot of effort amidst grief and other matters to arrange. One should not assume that even close relatives know all the services that have been used. For this reason, the list should include all services, even those that one might not otherwise mention to others.

“Especially if you hold intangible assets, cryptocurrencies, in-game purchases, e-books, streaming services, or similar, it’s a good idea to document your digital estate. The list should be updated every few years to keep it current. An inventory of your digital presence should ideally start when you are a young adult,” says Jesse Kieksi, head of devices at DNA.

The lack of a digital testament can lead to the loss of assets and cash, as cryptocurrencies or in-game purchases do not automatically transfer to heirs.

Haunting social media accounts pose a risk for misuse

A digital testament is also referred to as a digital will, which better captures the spirit of the document. It is advisable to record what you want to happen, for example, to your social media accounts after your death.

Services offer the option to either delete accounts entirely or convert them into memorial pages, and in most services, you can specify in your settings how you want this to be handled. Social media services do not automatically receive information about a person's death, so a relative or estate administrator must contact each of them after the death,” Kieksi says.

If nothing is done about social media accounts after death, they will continue to exist on their own. In the worst-case scenario, unclosed accounts can pose a risk for misuse, such as identity theft.

“Ghost accounts can cause awkward situations when acquaintances congratulate on birthdays and send private messages, unaware that the person has passed away,” Kieksi notes, adding: “The digital will can also include wishes regarding post-death matters, such as your own funeral, if you do not want pictures or information about it shared on social media.”

Ensure the reuse of devices

In addition to digital services, it is wise to think in advance about how you want to handle personal devices, such as smartphones, computers, and tablets.

“Even if the devices are for personal use only, you can add another person’s user account with administrator rights. This way, they have the ability to restore the devices to factory settings, making it easier to reuse them. Otherwise, setting up the devices with a new user account can be nearly impossible,” Kieksi says.

A parallel user account is a more secure way to manage the future of devices than sharing your own username and password. In general, it is important to remember security when creating a digital will.

“You should never write usernames or passwords in a digital testament. However, some people want to leave access to their services for their relatives after their death, even though this is not generally recommended from a security perspective. If this is done, the information should be strongly encrypted, and the master password granting access to the services should be kept safe. For example, regarding cryptocurrencies, it is important to clarify how relatives can access them after one's death. Depending on the storage method, accessing cryptocurrencies may require physical recovery codes,” Kieksi continues.

In practice, all services require an email address from the user, so the deceased person's email should not be closed until all associated usernames and devices have been closed. It is also worth remembering that many household devices, such as robot vacuums and smart TVs, require a user account to operate or use their applications. The work of sorting through digital legacies is complicated by the fact that each service has its own process for closing accounts.

“For example, the WhatsApp messaging application must be closed separately, as it does not close when the subscription is canceled. After its closure, there is a waiting period during which the same number is not assigned to a new user by the operator. After the waiting period, the person receiving the number can access the deceased person's WhatsApp account if it has not been deleted separately,” Kieksi points out.

Media enquiries:

Head of Devices, Jesse Kieksi, DNA, 044 044 9484, jesse.kieksi@dna.fi
DNA Communications, Tel. 044 044 8000, viestinta@dna.fi