Within this blog post, readers will gain insights into the utilization of legacy contacts on the leading platforms, including Facebook, Apple, and Android. Additionally, we’ll explore the advantages of designating a legacy contact.
Legacy contacts are people you choose to have access to your data after your death. People with influential social media accounts may wish to preserve their funds in a certain state through legacy contacts. By having an estate trustee assist you in this matter, you can choose who will be in charge of your account and how your account will operate in the future. Apple and Facebook have already adapted this metric to give individuals the freedom of choice.
The legacy contact feature is interesting in that granting access to another person after one passes will not guarantee access to all areas of the account. Each platform will have its restrictions – most likely to prevent abuse and complete alterations that violate the original holder’s identity.
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/help/1070665206293088)
The legacy contact feature was first made available by Facebook as of February 12, 2015; the legacy contact can control one’s main Facebook profile but excludes any additional Facebook profiles one has created. Having a legacy contact for Facebook allows the grantor (a person who wishes to pass along their account) to dictate whether they want the receiver to memorialize the main page or delete the account permanently. However, a legacy contact cannot log into your account, read your messages, remove friends or add new ones. In contrast, legacy contacts can pin posts from your profile, update your profile picture and cover photo, request deletion of your account, and download anything you’ve posted on Facebook. Those limitations have been imposed by Facebook so that there will still be some connection between the account and the deceased. Having friends remain on the account allows the deceased’s friends to report the user if they engage in foul play using the legacy contact.
Apple (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212360)
Apple has added the legal contact feature to iOS 15 as of December 2021. Apple also has certain restrictions, such as preventing the receiver from accessing movies, music, books, or the deceased purchased subscriptions. Furthermore, payment information, passwords, and passkeys will not be accessible to the recipient. Once Apple has verified the necessary information, it grants Legacy Contacts access.
A unique feature of Apple Legacy Contact is that data access only lasts three years. After that, all data will be permanently deleted. As another distinctive aspect of Apple’s business model, if a legacy contact has yet to be appointed, Apple will refuse to unlock password-protected devices, even with a court order. Unless a legacy contact is appointed to the Apple device, Apple will only give access to the physical device after wiping all of the deceased’s data.
Android (https://odishatv.in/news/technology/how-to-add-a-legacy-contact-on-your-phone-to-safeguard-personal-information-199136#)
Android, unlike Facebook and Apple, lacks a legacy contact feature, but it achieves a similar result through “Google Inactive Account Manager.” Using the Google Inactive Account Manager feature, the selected contact can access emails, bank details, and some crucial passwords. While the Android feature is not as advanced as Apple or Facebook, we can predict that it will rapidly advance since many people are now thinking about managing their data after they pass away since it can only be permanently deleted if proper action is taken.
Planning one’s estate can enable one to ensure how one would like their digital life to remain to preserve their memory. I challenge you to considering all the advantages a legacy contact can offer. For help with estate planning, don’t hesitate to contact me for more information, as RMS Estates Law can assist you in navigating the complexities of law and life as it relates to your estate plan.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONTENT OF THIS BLOG IS MERELY FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE.
