Half of Americans Are Ghosting Their Digital Footprint in End-of-Life Planning

End-of-life planning isn’t something you do on a whim. Naturally, most Americans start their end-of-life plan later in life, often not starting until their 50s or even later, with many waiting until they are 75 or older to initiate a living will or advance care planning.

But if you do find yourself thinking ahead in this way (and you really should at least once a year), a typical checklist involves making decisions about your medical treatment preferences, designating a healthcare proxy, creating a will, outlining funeral arrangements, managing your finances and discussing your wishes regarding organ donation and body disposition.

Ensuring your affairs are in order after your passing and that your loved ones know your desires isn’t always the easiest or lightest move to make, but it’s the right one.

There is one surprising topic that we find is often left off the checklist: non-financial digital assets and profiles. This includes everything from your Facebook and Match.com profiles to your Spotify account to your web domain and hosting account with GoDaddy.

For us, we’re hyperfocused on sharing how you can best manage your online lives, so planning for what happens to our digital footprints after death is a no-brainer. But we wanted to see if most Americans felt the same way — or not.

We decided to run a survey on this topic and find out where Americans stand — are they aware they need to include their digital footprints in their end-of-life planning or not?

Our survey revealed that 80% of Americans recognize the importance of a digital afterlife plan, but only 57% have created one. Interestingly, we also found that 86% of Americans believe their peers are unaware of the need for such a plan.

These gaps highlight a critical oversight in modern life, where our digital footprints stay online well beyond our physical selves, and a call to action for Big Tech to provide more awareness and clearer policies and options.

We confirmed that most Americans are aware that planning for their digital lives posthumously is important, but 57% feel overwhelmed by managing their digital afterlife. With the average person having hundreds of accounts and passwords, we can understand why. We also found out that 75% don’t know how to begin the process.

To start planning for your digital footprints and online accounts after death, you should first designate a “digital executor” — a trusted person who will manage your online presence after you pass away and create a detailed list of all your online accounts with login information.

If you have a password manager, you’re already on the right track and this step will likely be easier. If you aren’t tech-savvy or wary of hackers, go back to the basics and use Excel on your desktop.

Once you have your list, specify what you want to happen to each account (memorialized, deleted, or transferred) by contacting each platform and setting up their designated features for managing deceased accounts.

Our survey revealed that a significant majority of Americans, more than 85%, believe online platforms should offer clearer options for managing accounts after a user’s death, highlighting the growing importance of digital legacy management.

62% percent of respondents think social media platforms should automatically delete the accounts of deceased users, reflecting a preference for privacy and closure in the digital realm.

Most Americans believe online platforms should provide clearer options and assistance for managing accounts of deceased users.

48% percent of Americans feel it is ethical for platforms to retain and analyze data from deceased users, suggesting an ongoing debate about the balance between ethical data use and personal privacy after death.

After death, most social media platforms can be either deleted, converted into a memorialized account where loved ones can share memories, or left as is, depending on the platform’s policy and whether a designated “legacy contact” has been set up. To manage the account, family members usually need to provide proof of death, such as a death certificate, to make changes.

To recap, here are the best four steps to take in the immediate future to get your digital afterlives in order:

• Choose a digital executor: Designate a trusted person to manage your online accounts after death
• Create a digital asset inventory: List all your online accounts and passwords in a secure location.
• Communicate your wishes: Discuss your digital afterlife plans with your family and friends.
• Review your social media settings: Some platforms offer options to memorialize or delete accounts upon death. Be sure to pre-select preferred options or submit a request for options to be provided.

“Although it may seem trivial to delete your Facebook and banking accounts before you die — especially after handling the big questions about finances, physical assets, and medical power of attorney — I think most people would regret not taking care of their digital footprint after passing,” said Joe Warnimont, security and technical expert with HostingAdvice.

“It doesn’t take long to tell your lawyer (who’s already drafting your will or trust) to include basic digital housekeeping instructions. In fact, a good will and trust lawyer will provide the right language for you. As a result, you’ll prevent future identity theft, put any remaining financial accounts in the right hands, and eliminate leakage of sensitive documentation.”

In December 2024, HostingAdvice.com surveyed 500 individuals to find out where they stand on how their digital lives exist posthumously. Those who responded ranged from ages 18 to 65+, with an average age range of 26-45, among those that answered were 50% female and 50% male. All those surveyed (100%) were based in the United States.