Digital footprint of the dead opens up Pandora’s box of online safety issues

In another instance, Srinivasa Rao (name changed), a bank employee in Thiruverkadu, passed away four years ago. However, photos and comments are being posted on his Facebook account till date. It turns out that his son has been replying on the father’s behalf.

Whether it’s the case of a dormant account or a deceased person’s profile being kept alive, the digital footprint of the dead seems to be floating around, like debris in space. A recent study shows that if the people who have used FB pass away and the number of new users is negligible, then the ‘dead’ will take over social media, leaving a few accounts of those alive. This gives rise to the question — what happens to these zombie accounts and its valuable contents?

Aditya Gupta, co-founder of a web and digital media agency, says, “FB has already come under the scanner for data leaks. They claim they will improve their safety through encryption, but experts seem to think these are false promises.”

On the other hand, the onus should also lie on a relative to delete zombie profiles, argues social media expert Kiruba Shankar. “When a person dies, there are two ways of notifying FB — a person who knows the password can deactivate/delete the account. Two, a relative or friend has to write the company and provide proof that the user is no more, after which they can choose to take down the profile or leave it as a memorial,” he says.