Will Facebook Haunt You From the Grave?

I found an article that you can use for class discussion. Someone in the evening class had asked a question about Facebook's policy for deceased users. Facebook used to memorialize the deceased user's site by making it accessible to people that are confirmed friends and relatives. The powers that be at Facebook decided that it was against their policy to completely remove the account. In the case of William Bemister, his sister Stephanie Bemist sent a letter to Facebook in addition to a death certificate to request that her brother's page be removed. Facebook was adamant about their policy until they received many inquiries into Stephanie's case.

The former policy: "Per our policy for deceased users, we have memorialized this person's account. This removes certain more sensitive information and sets privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile or find the person in search. The Wall remains so that friends and family can leave posts in remembrance."


I wanted to see for myself what the new policy on deceased users would be. So, I went to help center under "Profile" , but it only gives you an option to permanently delete your account or to report a deceased user so that you can memorialize their account. In the terms and privacy of their site, there is no updated information that states that they will remove the deceased user's account permanently. Below is a sample of the form that one has to fill out in the event that you would like to memorialize an account. Is removal of an account considered to be an unrelated inquiry? Stephanie's case brings about the issue of whether or not social network site users should include in their will what to do with their online accounts so that there is no debate with these companies.

IMPORTANT: This form is solely for the reporting of a deceased person to memorialize the person’s account. Please note that unrelated inquiries through this form may not receive a response.

Contact email address:
Full Name: on the account
Date of birth:	Month:Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Day:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Year:2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900
Account email addresses: which may have been used to create the account
Networks: which the person may have been in (e.g., the San Francisco, CA regional network)
Relationship to the person:	Please select:Immediate family (parent, sibling, child)Extended family (grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin)Non-family (friend, co-worker, classmate)Other

Nicole, Kristen. "Facebook changes policy on deceased users account." http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-changes-policy-on-deceased-users-accounts/
Popken,Ben. "Facebook Won't Let You Remove Dead Relative's Page, Per "Policy"." http://consumerist.com/5157481/facebook-wont-let-you-remove-dead-relatives-page-per-policy