From family photos in the cloud to email files and social media accounts, the digital life of Americans is extensive and growing.
According to recent studies from NordPass and Dashlane password management companies, the average Internet user maintains more than 150 online accounts. People produce hundreds of data gigabytes every year. But few people have plans about what will happen with that digital legacy after their death.
Unlike physical possessions, online assets often do not pass without generation problems. Loved ones fight to access important accounts or recover precious photos. Many families face these challenges while they are already overwhelmed by pain.
Most technology companies have not kept up to date with this reality. Less than 15% of popular online platforms have clear systems to manage the death of a user, and customer service is often limited, according to our new study. As the “digital footprints” of people expand, the lack of planning has become a practical and emotional burden for families. This is especially true for older adults who may not be aware of the necessary steps to administer their digital heritage.
We are an associate professor of Information Sciences and Researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. We are investigating how to design technologies for people who are dedicated to planning the end of the useful life of their data.
First clinic of this type
We realized that there was no organization or a complete website to help people navigate the technical, privacy or practical challenges they faced. In response, we launch what we believe is a unique solution in its type: the digital legacy clinic.
Just as writing a will helps manage physical possessions after death, the planning of its digital legacy guarantees that your life online is managed according to your wishes.
Our clinic opened its doors in the late 2024. The free clinic offers support both the people who plan the end of their digital lives and those that manage the digital heritage of their loved ones who have died.
Directed by students and located in the Department of Information Sciences of the University of Colorado, Boulder, the clinic works very similar to a pro bono legal clinic. Community members in the areas of Denver and Boulder, as well as from the whole country, can communicate with the clinic to obtain help.
First, the person interested in receiving assistance fills a simple form. Then, a member of the clinic will send a monitoring email to clarify and offer preliminary advice. Since each case is different, often the workers of the clinic will meet through Zoom with a client to create a personalized plan for them and their family.
How the clinic helps
The clinic offers guidance on a wide range of issues related to digital heritage, including the configuration of inherited digital tools, such as trust contacts in Google and Apple or inherited contacts on Facebook, that is, someone who chooses to administer their main profile after their death. People can also obtain guidance on how to commemorate or eliminate social networks or other online accounts after a loved one has died.
For example, Facebook allows you to commemorate an account or request its elimination. To commemorate it, you must send a form with the name of the person, the death date, a test of death, as an obituary, and verify its relationship with the deceased. Including these steps can help your loved ones to manage a digital legacy clearly and care.
You may be interested: Human’s breathing leaves brands that can reveal health status
The clinic also helps people recover and preserve digital assets. That includes photos, videos, emails and other important documents, such as legal documents stored in Google Drive.
For those who are planning after their death, the clinic can guide them in the creation of a digital heritage plan. This plan could include the inventory of online accounts, the documentation of the login credentials and leave instructions for the closure of the account, or the determination of the steps to send the documents by email to your lawyer.
Students who support their community
The continuous work of the clinic is entirely directed by undergraduate and postgraduate students, who build and maintain the clinic’s website, manage the customer admission process and investigate solutions adapted to each case.
For students, it is a practical learning opportunity that connects academic work with the needs of the real world. Experience is also professionally valuable. Students learn to communicate complex technological issues with empathy, navigate privacy laws and administer confidential data responsible.
A resource for older adults
While the digital legacy clinic is available for people from all over the country, its location in Boulder makes it especially accessible to older adults in the areas of Boulder and Denver who may prefer or benefit from support in person.
For older adults, the clinic can play a crucial role to help them organize their digital lives while they are still alive. This can reduce confusion for loved ones later and even help prevent problems such as identity theft or improper use of the account. Many older adults now maintain a wide online presence, but they may not have the tools or knowledge to ensure that their accounts are safe and accessible to the people they trust.
*Dylan Thomas Doyle is a researcher in Information Sciences and Jed R. Brubaker is an associate professor of Information Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.
This article was originally published in The Conversation/Reuters
Do you like photos and news? Follow us on our Instagram
