Digital Legacy
Digital Legacy
The data and accounts a deceased person leaves behind on the internet and digital devices.
In Simple Terms
Digital Legacy refers to the photos, accounts, and other data a deceased person leaves behind online or on their smartphone. Examples include family photos saved on a phone, social media accounts, and online banking accounts. Problems can arise when family members can't access this content after someone passes away, or when charges for paid services keep being made.
Behind the Name
The word "Digital Legacy" combines "digital," meaning electronic data, with "legacy," meaning what a person leaves behind after death. It describes the intangible assets and information stored online or on computers — essentially, a person's belongings in digital form.
Take a Closer Look!
Digital Legacy refers to digital data and internet accounts a person leaves behind after they pass away. Examples include photos, videos, and documents stored on a computer or smartphone, as well as social media accounts, online shopping accounts, online banking accounts, and cryptocurrency.
Unlike physical assets such as land or cash, digital legacy is invisible, so family members can easily miss it after someone dies. A well-known problem is when a deceased person's locked smartphone can't be opened, making stored photos inaccessible. Subscriptions can also keep charging monthly fees long after the person has passed away.
How digital legacy reaches family members depends on the type of asset. For online banking, family members can inherit access without knowing the password, by notifying the bank of the death and submitting documents such as a copy of the family register and a registered seal certificate, which serve as proof of their legal right to inherit. Cryptocurrency held on an exchange can usually be transferred the same way — but if it's stored only on a personal device, a lost password means permanent loss. Social media accounts are different: platform terms treat them as belonging solely to the original user, so family can't inherit them as assets, only request deletion or conversion to a memorial page. Because of these differences, it's worth organizing your account details and wishes while you're still healthy — a practice known as digital estate planning.