Facebook Now Lets You Choose Who Controls Your Account After You Die.

at 16 February 2015

Facebook is putting its users in control of what happens to their accounts after they die. Starting today, users in the US will be able to choose to have their accounts deleted after death or grant another person on Facebook permission to manage an account on their behalf. Facebook calls this person an accountâ€™s â€œlegacy contact,â€ and users will be able to choose that person through the websiteâ€™s or appâ€™s security page.

If you chose to set up a legacy contact, that person will be able to change your profile photo, accept friend requests, and pin announcements on your accountâ€™s timeline after Facebook receive notices of your death. A legacy contact wonâ€™t be able to post as the account that theyâ€™re controlling, nor will they be able to view that personâ€™s private messages. Facebook will also provide an option to let legacy contacts download a file containing an accountâ€™s photos, posts, and other information.