If your family doesn’t have access to your passwords or accounts, in case something unfortunate was to happen to you, your digital identity could not be modified. It is of course not very joyful to think about such scenarios, but it is important for a loved one to have access to online credentials and social media accounts, for example, to retrieve family photos that are only saved on mobile phones, to end subscriptions, or turn Facebook accounts into memorial pages. 

There are several ways to implement this: 

• Make a list of all your login usernames and passwords and hide them carefully. Tell your partner or a close friend where they can find the list in case something happens. Alternatively, you can tell an executor of your will (notary public) who will then tell your relatives when you die. 
• Use a password manager and share the master password with one of the people above. 
• Via the notary public you can also appoint an online executor. This person gets access to your digital vault after your death. This vault contains all your online data and details what you want this person to do on your behalf with your social media accounts. 
• You can use an app recapping all your online services and accounts; this way your relatives will have an overview of all your digital legacy. Of course, you must make sure that they have access to your mobile phone once you pass. 

Veiliginternetten.nl has a whole page (in Dutch) on digital legacy with tips and more information on how to make sure your digital will is respected. 

Find out more about the work of the Dutch Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.