The immortal nature of the internet has always served as a reminder of things past, be it events, products or news. Now Facebook is extending that immortality to its users.
Facebook have today launched the new Legacy Contact feature, enabling users to choose a family member or friend who can manage their account when they pass away.
The legacy contact, once the account holder has passed away and Facebook has been notified, will be able to write a post to display at the top of the memorialized Timeline, respond to friend requests and update the profile picture and cover photo.
The legacy contact will not be able to log in as the person who passed away or see that person’s private messages. Alternatively, people can let Facebook know if they’d prefer to have their Facebook account permanently deleted after death.
Until now, Facebook offered a basic memorialised account which was viewable, but could not be managed by anyone.
Facebook commented in a statement: "By talking to people who have experienced loss, we realized there is more we can do to support those who are grieving and those who want a say in what happens to their account after death."
To choose a legacy contact, users must choose security in settings and scroll to the bottom of the page where Legacy Contact can be accessed.
Facebook has also redesigned memorialised profiles to include the word "Remembering" above the deceased’s name.
