What happens to social media accounts when someone dies?

Nothing happens by itself. When someone dies, every social media account they had stays exactly as it was until a person asks the platform to change it. The profile keeps appearing in searches and friend suggestions, the birthday reminder still goes out, and old photos keep resurfacing as "memories" for the people who knew them. For some families that is a comfort for a while. For most it becomes a problem, usually at the worst moment.

This guide explains what each platform does, what the law says in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, and what a family can do about it. It is written for readers anywhere. If the person lived in the UK, our UK version covers Tell Us Once and UK law.

What happens if nobody does anything

• The profile stays public or friends-only, exactly as the person left it.
• Reminders carry on: birthdays, anniversaries, "on this day" memories, friend suggestions to people who knew them.
• Anyone with the password, or anyone who guesses it, can log in. Accounts of people who have died are a target for scammers, who use them to message relatives asking for money.
• Subscriptions attached to the accounts keep charging until the card fails.

A few platforms do act on inactivity alone, and families are often caught out by which ones.

• WhatsApp deletes an account that has not connected for a set time. WhatsApp gives this as generally 120 days, and 365 days for the United States.
• Google says an account that has not been used for two years may be deleted, with its photos and email.
• Microsoft closes an inactive account after two years.
• TikTok says it may memorialise an account without being asked, when a death is confirmed by credible sources.
• Facebook and Instagram do nothing until someone tells them.

What the law says, country by country

Less than families expect, and it differs more between countries than the platforms' own processes do. This is general information, not legal advice.

• United States. Most states have adopted a law known as RUFADAA, the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. It gives an executor authority over a person's digital assets, but it protects the contents of private messages and email: those are only released if the person agreed, either in the platform's own tool, such as a legacy contact, or in a will. A choice made in the platform's tool overrides the will.
• Canada. Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Yukon have passed laws giving an executor access to digital assets. As of mid 2026 the larger provinces had not, so families there rely on the platforms' processes.
• Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. We know of no law written specifically for online accounts after a death. An account is a contract with the platform, and the platform's terms decide what happens. A law reform report in New South Wales recommended a statute in 2020.
• European Union. The GDPR does not apply to the personal data of people who have died. It leaves the question to each member state, and the answers vary.

Two things are the same everywhere. An executor's court document is accepted by the platforms as proof of authority for a removal request. And the government services that pass on news of a death do not reach social media. In the United States the funeral home generally reports the death to Social Security. Australia's Death Notification Service tells banks, utilities and insurers. Neither tells Facebook.

Platform by platform, as of October 2026

• Facebook: memorialise with proof of death, which anyone can request, or remove with proof that you are immediate family or the executor. A legacy contact chosen by the person can look after the memorial. Guide.
• Instagram: the same two routes, requested separately from Facebook even when the accounts are linked. Guide.
• Threads: follows the Instagram account.
• TikTok: memorialise or delete, on a request from a family member with proof of death, your relationship, and proof that the account was theirs. Guide.
• LinkedIn: memorialise with an obituary link, or close with the death certificate and proof of relationship. Guide.
• X (Twitter): deactivation for family or the executor, with the death certificate and your ID. There is no memorial state. Guide.
• Snapchat: no memorial state. Snapchat only accepts a deletion request from the email address on the account, so a family that cannot reach that email cannot close it.
• Pinterest: email Pinterest with the profile link, proof of death and proof of your relationship, and the account is deactivated.
• Reddit: no formal process. A support request with proof of death can get the account deleted.
• YouTube: part of the Google account. Guide.
• WhatsApp: no memorial state and no form. The account is deleted from the phone, or lapses through inactivity. Guide.

What memorialising does

On Facebook and Instagram, a memorialised profile shows "Remembering" next to the name. Nobody can log in to it, it stops appearing in reminders and suggestions, and the posts and photos stay visible to the people who could see them before. It is the fastest way to make an account safe while the family decides, because anyone can request it with an obituary, and it does not prevent a later removal.

The platforms' own forms use the American spelling, memorialization, which is worth knowing when you search their help pages.

Delete or memorialise?

Removal is usually right when the profile continuing to exist is distressing, when the person was private, or when the account has already been misused. Memorialising usually makes more sense after a sudden or young death, when friends want somewhere to go, or when the family is divided, because a memorial can be removed later and a removed account cannot come back. Most families end up with a mix. Our decision guide goes through it properly, including what to save first.

What to do, in order

How long it takes

None of the platforms publishes a timescale. Memorialising a Facebook or Instagram profile with clear proof is often done within days. Removal takes longer, from a week to several weeks, and a request that has been silent for two weeks usually needs sending again. LinkedIn and X take a few weeks. The smaller platforms depend on reaching a person in support.

Or let us do it for you

Departed Digital closes or memorialises every account for the family: the right request on each platform, the documents sent once, the resubmissions and the follow up, and a written record at the end. Packages start from £149, checkout shows your local currency automatically, and we work with families in the UK and internationally.