Digital Data: Until Death Do You Part

When I die, I want to be cremated, have my ashes mixed with cement, and dropped to the bottom of the ocean to create an artificial reef. Simple. It will be fun for my posterity to visit my grave site, rather than a somber experience. 

My wife or daughter: "Do you guys want to go visit Grandpa?"

Many grandchildren: "YEAH!!!!!"

"Grab your scuba gear, we're going to Hawaii!"

You're welcome, posterity.

I miss you Grampa...oh look, a puffer fish!

But what will happen to my stuff when I pass on? I'm not talking about my sweet T-shirt collection or my dining monocle; those will find loving homes. I'm talking about all of the digital stuff I have acquired over the years. My music, movies, pictures, and various accounts throughout the World Wide Wed will no longer have an owner when I kick the bucket, right? Right?

What happens to my online accounts?

In this day and age, it is not uncommon to have two or more email accounts, a Facebook account, a Twitter account, and numerous other accounts scattered throughout the web. Right now, the safest thing to do is to record your login information so that it can be passed on to the next-of-kin so that the information can be handled safely. Facebook has the option of memorializing the account, basically freezing the account in time. Only confirmed friends can access information, and can post to offer their condolences. If someone does not pass on passwords, proper identification is required for further action to be taken. Death certificates,birth certificates, and "proof of authority under local law that you are the lawful representative of the deceased or his/her estate" are the demands Facebook makes in order for a loved one's account to be deleted forever.

Is there no other way?

Currently there are no common options of absorbing another person's account after they pass on. Each individual has ownership that is non-transferable. A few sites, such as Legacy Locker and Entrustet, offer services to make sure that your digital legacy is handled correctly. Entrustet can even help find digital assets of loved ones that have passed on.

There you go. Make sure that you keep a safe record of the accounts that you frequent around the web. 

Or just throw your computer to the bottom of the ocean. I'm sure it will make a great artificial reef.