3/31/2017 2 Comments Internet Mortality # 10In my blog this week, I explore a subject that most of us will find to be rather disturbing, and that is death. And not just death of the individual, but the digital death that will follow, for today most all of us have some sort of internet presence, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites and when we die what happens to our internet life is a subject of intense scrutiny. In parallel to this topic is the ethical question of what surviving loved ones are obligated, or not, to do with our digital presence, and how this should be approached. Should we now consider in our estate planning the additional component of what should be done with our social media accounts presence and online accounts? With millions of Facebook users online everyday it is easy math to realize that at the same time each day those same people may die, and when they do those accounts need to be managed. Facebook has created a protocol for this, which seems to be somewhat effective, but who is ultimately responsible for archiving and saving information about deceased people and their internet history? Is this process one that the social media sites should manage, and if they do, who decides what is the appropriate manner in which to do so?
I think that this subject should be addressed in the same way as we deal with all estate issues, and that is one the belongs to each individual. Each of us has an obligation and a responsibility to plan details and specifics such as these, so as to avoid giving this burden to those who survive us. Some information that we leave online may be sensitive, and not something everyone will want shared, and that is just one issue. On the opposite end, some information about us should be shared, and preserved, as it may be meaningful to others. Take for example, if your parent should die unexpectedly, and you discover that he or she has been on a dating website for singles, even though they were married. What do you do with this information, and how is the best way to handle it? Do we have an ethical responsibility to protect the deceased, or to protect the living by exposing it? These are tough questions, and situations, and are not easily answered. Each individual case of course will vary, and most likely what is best at the time can probably be determined. But it the deceased is not well represented, or family members are not willing to deal with this, it could be very complicated. Social media sites should have a limited exposure to the level of responsibility to this matter, and a simple policy of how it is handled should be defined. Individuals post and share what they choose, and in doing so they take the risk of what is known about them. If you’re willing to be online and share your personal information while you’re alive, then you should be willing to understand what it may mean when you’re not. Because companies exist that share your information on the world-wide web it does not mean that they are obligated to you once you are deceased. Wise planning while alive, and good preparations for when you are not is the best prevention for this controversial subject of internet mortality.
2 Comments
Noemi Cuin
5/15/2017 12:46:12 am
hi luigi,
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Cammron Keehley
5/23/2017 08:52:03 pm
Hey Luigi,
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