What to Do with a Deceased Loved One’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok Accounts?

What to include in a ‘digital inventory’

• Social Networks: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, etc.
• Email and Logins: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo – often these are gateways to other accounts.
• Cloud Storage: Google Photos/Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive.
• Financial and Commercial Accounts: banking, PayPal, cryptocurrency wallets, Amazon, Vinted, eBay.
• Digital Content and Subscriptions: Spotify, Netflix, Steam, Kindle libraries.
• Intellectual Property: blogs, domains, YouTube channels.

Legal Note. The EU GDPR generally does not apply to deceased individuals’ data, but their privacy and handling are governed by other legal acts and platform rules. In practice, this means that relatives typically cannot ‘inherit’ passwords—instead, they must use the processes provided by the platforms (memorialization, deletion, granting access through special features).

Main Options for Relatives

1) Convert the account to a memorial account

• A label ‘In Memoriam’ appears next to the name; the account will no longer show up in ‘friend recommendations’ or birthday reminders.
• The account is ‘locked’—no one can log in, but friends can see content according to previous privacy settings and leave memories.

How to request: fill out a special Facebook memorialization form, attaching proof of death (e.g., death certificate or obituary) and the profile link.

2) Complete account deletion

The family or executor of the estate can request the permanent deletion of the account and all associated content. Identity and relationship verification documents are required.

3) Legacy Contact

If the person designated a legacy contact in advance, this individual can:

• pin a post at the top of the profile (e.g., information about the funeral);
• change profile and cover photos;
• accept new friend requests.

Limitations: the legacy contact cannot log into the account as a user, cannot read private messages, or change the history of old posts.

What relatives can actually do

1) Memorialization

• A label ‘Remembering’ appears next to the name; the account is ‘frozen’—no one can log in or change data.
• Existing followers can see previously posted content according to privacy settings.

How to request: fill out the Instagram memorialization form, attaching proof of death (obituary or death certificate).

2) Account deletion

Relatives or the legal estate administrator can request the complete deletion of the account and content. The requirements for identity and relationship verification are stricter than for memorialization.

What are the options if a loved one had TikTok?

Currently, TikTok does not offer memorialization features. The practical route is to request the account to be deleted through the TikTok help center. The request is usually submitted with a death certificate and documents proving close kinship or legal representation. The process may be less automated and take longer, so it’s advisable to back up content (e.g., important videos) in advance, if possible and legally permitted.

How to help relatives in advance

1) Digital Inventory

• Securely (e.g., in a password manager) list important accounts and preferred actions for each (‘delete’, ‘memorialize’, ‘allow photo downloads’).
• Do not store passwords in unencrypted documents or printed sheets.

2) Platform Tools

• Facebook: set a legacy contact and (if desired) indicate that the account should be automatically deleted after death.
• Google (Gmail, Drive, Photos): use the Inactive Account Manager—set an inactivity period, people to be notified, and which data they can download; after that, you can automatically delete the account.
• Apple iCloud: add a Legacy Contact. Relatives who provide the access key and death certificate will be able to access iCloud data according to Apple’s rules.

3) Password Managers and Emergency Access

Use a reliable password manager (e.g., Bitwarden, 1Password, LastPass, etc.). Most have an Emergency Access feature: designate a person who, after your specified waiting period, can gain access. This significantly reduces bureaucracy and the risk of data loss.

4) Legal Solutions

• Digital Executor: name a person in your will who will manage your digital legacy.
• Formulating Wishes: clearly write what to do with specific accounts and content.

Virtual Mourning and AI Dilemmas

Memorialized accounts often become a place for memories: friends and relatives write messages, share photos, and commemorate anniversaries. This helps the community collectively process the loss. However, discussions about AI services that offer to ‘recreate’ style or voice from public records are becoming more frequent. Before considering such ideas, it’s worth defining ethical boundaries: who can give consent, how much it helps, and when it hinders the mourning process, or whether ‘created’ content aligns with the deceased’s personality.

GDPR Application and Institutional Recommendations

In Lithuania, personal data protection is overseen by the VDAI. Although the GDPR does not formally cover deceased individuals, other legal norms (e.g., civil law, service provider rules) apply to their data processing in practice. Therefore, when managing a deceased person’s accounts, it is safest to rely on official platform processes (memorialization or deletion) and avoid unauthorized access even with passwords.

Brief Action Checklist

1. Gather documents: death certificate, your identity document, proof of relationship with the deceased (if needed).
2. Select an action for each account: memorialize or delete (‘Facebook’, ‘Instagram’); for ‘TikTok’—usually delete.
3. Submit official requests: fill out ‘Facebook’/’Instagram’ forms, in the case of ‘TikTok’—contact through the help center.
4. Monitoring: if the account is memorialized, periodically review visible information (e.g., comments) to prevent abuse.
5. For the future: enable ‘Legacy Contact’, ‘Inactive Account Manager’, ‘Apple Legacy Contact’ for your accounts, and keep passwords in a manager with ‘Emergency Access’.