What to Do with a Deceased Loved One’s Twitter Account
After someone you love passes away, there can be an overwhelming list of things to do, forms to fill out, and decisions to make. One category that doesn’t always make it on the checklist of tasks is deciding what to do with your loved one’s social media presence. If they had a Twitter account, here are some of your options and what to expect with each.
Option 1: Do Nothing
The obvious option, and one most people choose to go with in the immediate aftermath of the death, is to do nothing with their loved one’s Twitter account. Who cares, right? It can just sit there dormant.
While dealing with a Twitter account isn’t a top priority, Compass Coordinators does recommend putting it on your list—just toward the bottom. You might want to look into whether your loved one had signed up for Twitter Blue (as of this writing, it auto-renews at $2.99/month) and cancel that, but otherwise the urgency isn’t high.
The reason to take action is to prevent the account from being hacked. Hackers love Twitter (remember this?) and you probably don’t want your deceased loved one’s account being used by trolls to promote bitcoin, Russian propaganda, or who knows what else. Because the account is dormant, they can get away with it for quite a while before being noticed, and then it’s a huge headache (and potentially traumatic) for you.
Option 2: Deactivate the Account Yourself
Twitter doesn’t give the option to memorialize the account like Facebook does. The only choice you have when you’re ready to take action is to deactivate (delete) it. If you’d like to save their posts first, you can take screen shots or request a ZIP file with an archive of account information, history, activity, and more.
If you can log in to Twitter and access their Settings, you can deactivate the account yourself under “Your Account.” This does require having access to the email account or mobile phone to verify deactivation, so make sure you have those as well.
Option 3: Have the Account Taken Down
If you don’t have access to the account, an immediate family member or authorized representative of the estate (that means you have paperwork from the court) can fill out a form to request that the deceased person’s account be removed.
After filling out the form, someone from Twitter will contact you with additional instructions. They’ll ask for a copy of your ID, a copy of the death certificate, and some additional information about your loved one. Yes, it seems like a hassle, but they say this is to prevent false or unauthorized reports.
Tasks like this can be difficult, especially when you’re grieving. If you or someone you love needs help with prioritizing, organizing, and completing their to-do list after a loss, Compass can help. Contact us to schedule a free consultation.
We’re not attorneys, financial professionals, or mental health professionals, although we partner with these experts when needed. Everything on this website is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial or legal advice.
