Mar 23 2009
What will happen to all my accounts online, after I die?
Like most internet users, we have created hundreds of accounts online. We have made friends from all over the world, through forums, online communities; such as Facebook and Myspace, or blogs. Unlike us, those accounts are immortal, they will last forever in the cyberworld. Unfortunately, we don’t have that opportunity. So, have you ever thought of what it would happen to all those accounts if something were to happen to you. Who would let your friends know, about your death or if you were still alive but unable to use the computer?
Fortunately, I found a really cool site. You enter your information; like your passwords, your account usernames, your friends (and if you have secret bank accounts, you can let your relatives know, we can’t take any assets with us, might as well leave it for others to use) (unless your greedy, and would rather let it rot in the bank, I think I would probably do that). The site is Legacy Locker, you can visit it at legacylocker.com.
This is How it works
Legacy Locker is easy to use and understand. First, you create an account and fill out your profile with your basic information (address, phone numbers, etc). Next, you enter verifiers, the people who you completely trust to handle information in the unfortunate event of your passing. The next step is to identify all your online assets, entering the Website, username, and password for each asset. As you enter assets, you’ll assign them to your beneficiaries, the people to whom you wish to pass on your sensitive information. In addition to online assets, you can also create Legacy Letters, notes which get electronically delivered to friends, loved ones, or colleagues. Think of your Legacy Locker similar to a safety deposit box, it’s a secure place to store important assets - only online.
Once your Legacy Locker is set up, you can always come back and add, edit, or remove assets. It’s easy to update, and you can do it from any Internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world. This way, when you change passwords, or create new accounts, you can protect them with Legacy Locker just a few minutes later.
The final part on how Legacy Locker works is just as straightforward, though we know it’s not the most pleasant topic. When a Legacy Locker customer passes away, one of their verifiers must visit the website to report the death. At this point, the service uses a safe combination of human oversight with secure technology to ensure the user’s assets are properly dispersed. Emails to beneficiaries are sent with secure, embedded links that contain the assets or Legacy Letters. It’s never fun to think about our own mortality, but we very much hope that Legacy Locker provides a valuable service to help ease the transition when a loved one passes away.
Interesting thought. How long has it been around?
Marilynne
Wow, that’s pretty interesting, I never thought about what would happen to all of my accounts after I die, especially seeing how the internet is my main source of communication to all my friends in both the real and virtual world. I will definitely have to look into this.
While that sounds like a great idea I’d be worried about whoever owns that site having all of my info. Why not just jot down all the info and give it to the person you want to handle things when you die?
There are other ways, to handle business after dying but this is way cooler!