Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

RIP: How to stop Facebook from stealing your data after you die

Facebook lets you select someone from your friends list to manage your account once you die or you can automatically have your account deleted.

Inevitably, one day you’re going to die. While you may think your online identity will go to the grave with you, that’s not always how it works out. Without setting your account to self-implode or handing your login details to a trusted person, companies like Facebook and Google will carry on storing your data and everything else they’ve got on you.

Facebook gives you multiple options for what you can do with your profile once you die. One thing you can do is select someone from your friends list to manage your account once you die. Another thing you can do is set a switch to automatically delete your account but Facebook doesn’t exactly know when you’ve died, so let us explain:

How to automatically delete your Facebook account once you die

Although it seems that Facebook knows everything about us by now, it doesn’t know when you’ve died although I’m sure this will be a Black Mirror episode one day. To have your account deleted, you’ll need someone to prove your death before your online identity on the social networking platform is gone for good.

On desktop, head to Facebook’s website and click the drop-down arrow at the top right-hand side of your screen. Then, select Settings.

Now, click on the Edit button next to the Memorialization settings tab.

Scroll down and click Request that your account be deleted after you pass away. A box will now pop-up asking you to confirm that you want all your posts and other data linked to your account to be deleted once you die.

Once confirmed, someone will have to contact Facebook proving your death with a death certificate. If you want your family to be able to see your statuses, photos, videos, and any other posts you’ve made, you can undo this by clicking Keep your Facebook account - note: you can’t undo this feature if you’re already dead.


How to turn your Facebook account into a memorial page once you die

Facebook allows you to turn your profile into a digital tombstone once you die. It preserves all the posts you’ve uploaded throughout your life on the platform, from photos, videos, and shares.

It’s estimated that dead Facebook users could outnumber the living by 2069, and if you want to be part of this, here’s everything you need to know on how to memorialize your account once you die:

On desktop, head to Facebook’s site and log in. Once logged in, click on the drop-down arrow at the top right hand-side of your screen and select Settings.

Now, click on the Edit button next to the Memorialization settings tab.

Here you can choose a “legacy contact.” This is someone who will look after your account after you pass away. The person who you choose will be able to manage tribute posts on your page including: deciding who can post and who can see posts, deleting posts, removing tags, request the removal of your account, respond to new friend requests, and update your profile picture and cover photo.

It’s worth noting that your legacy contact can only manage posts made after you’ve passed away, meaning they won’t be able to see your previous direct messages or post.

Once you’ve selected your legacy contact, they’ll be notified and will essentially become a… godparent to your Facebook account?

It seems that dying online comes with just as much paperwork as dying IRL. So, in this “RIP” series we’ll walk you through how to shut down your most-used accounts for once you die.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×