Have you ever thought about how your online accounts, such as Instagram or Netflix, should be managed after you’re gone? Unless you leave behind their passwords, it might be difficult for your loved ones to access or cancel your accounts.
The National Consumer Affairs Center highlighted on Wednesday an increasing number of consultations regarding "digital legacies" — data and online services left behind when someone dies. These consultations often involve password-related issues and difficulties encountered by next of kin trying to access or cancel subscriptions.
Around 78% of people in their 60s and almost half of those in their 70s access the internet on a smartphone, according to a survey in 2023 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Alongside this prevalence of smartphone use among the elderly, however, comes the more widespread challenges of managing the digital assets of a deceased loved one.
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