Safeguarding your digital inheritance has become increasingly necessary in this age of abundant digital assets. From your social media profiles to your online banking, every picture, video, message, and thread of conversation is part of your digital footprint. Therefore, preparing for the transfer of your digital estate can be as crucial as drafting a traditional will.
When you start thinking about your digital inheritance, you can begin with the basic step of listing all the digital assets you have. This can include your email accounts, social media profiles, websites, blogs, eCommerce platforms, digital wallets, domain names, loyalty points from various merchants, digital collections of books, music, videos, and games, among others.
After making a list of your online presence, you’ll want to assign a digital executor who will handle everything. Since digital asset laws vary greatly between locations, you’ll need to choose the right person – someone tech-savvy who can manage your digital assets. You might want to engage a lawyer to ensure the legality of your digital inheritance is covered.
Password management is another crucial consideration. Passwords to all your digital assets must be stored securely. One approach to do this is to use a password manager, which stores all your passwords and provides secure access either through one master password or multi-factor authentication methods.
Use end-to-end encryption for all your digital data, so that it is secure from potential hackers or leaks. This is a special type of encryption that makes the data unreadable to everyone except the receiver. This level of security ensures your information will remain confidential and reach your loved ones safely.
Consider a detailed digital roadmap for the appointed digital executor. This includes an up-to-date inventory of digital assets, information on accessing physical devices like computers and phones, and instructions for locating important files and folders.
When it comes to social media accounts, there are a few different ways to handle things. Facebook allows you to nominate a legacy contact who can manage your memorialized account. Google Inactive Account Manager can be set up to share your data with someone you trust or delete your account after a certain period. Twitter can deactivate a deceased user’s account on request, while Instagram can memorialize or remove an account. Be sure to research each platform’s policies and ensure your digital estate planning aligns with them.
Financial digital assets need to be handled carefully. Properties such as cryptocurrency, digital wallets, online banking, and online trading accounts are digital goldmines that need to be included in your digital will. Ensure you leave detailed instructions for your digital executor on how to gain access, potentially convert the assets to a more tangible form, or continue with the investments.
Furthermore, anyone who has any creative work online such as blogs, vlogs, podcasts, or eBooks might want to give thoughts to the copyrights of their work after their death. Legally transferring copyright licenses to another person would ensure that your work will continue to get the recognition it deserves.
When planning your digital inheritance, you need to update it regularly. As your digital assets continue to grow and evolve, it’s important that your digital estate planning reflects those changes. Keep your digital executor informed about any major changes; regular updates can help avoid any confusion in the future.
Offline backups are equally important. Print out your digital asset inventory and store it in a safe, secure place. This not only acts as a physical reminder to update your digital inventory but also serves as a backup should anything happen to your online records.
Lastly, remember to include the specific wishes for each digital asset. Whether you wish them to be shut down, transitioned over to someone else, or memorialized, your wishes should be clear to your digital executor. Remember, laws governing the accessibility and transferability of digital assets after death are still evolving, so it is important to review your digital inheritance plans every few years to ensure they are still current.
To summarize, safeguarding your digital inheritance involves recognizing your digital assets, appointing a digital executor, ensuring secure password management, utilizing end-to-end encryption, building a comprehensive digital roadmap, understanding specific social media policies, meticulously managing financial digital assets and copyrights, regularly updating the plan, having offline backups, and specifying your wishes. Be proactive, as your digital estate is an extension of your life and should be treated with the same care and consideration as your physical assets.
