Facebook New Feature Will Allow People Leave ‘Tributes’ On Your Profile Page After You Die

Facebook is rolling out a new feature that will allow people to leave tributes on users’ profile pages after they pass away.

The new feature, which is currently being tested in the US, will separate out messages that people have posted on a user’s profile page after they die from those that were posted before.

Facebook already allows accounts to be “memorialised” when a user dies, which means the account is locked down and placed in the control of a “legacy contact” .

The word “Remembering” is shown next to the person’s name on their profile and, depending on the privacy settings of the account, friends can share memories on the memorialised timeline.

However, there is currently no clear separation between these tributes and posts the person made when they were alive.

Some Facebook users in the US who have already designated “legacy contacts” were alerted to the new Tributes feature via a notification on Tuesday, TechCrunch reports .

The social network describes it as “a space on memorialised profiles where friends and family can post stories, commemorate a birthday, share memories and more.”

Legacy contacts will have more control over tribute posts than they do over the rest of the account. For example, they will be able to decide who can see and post tributes and who can delete posts.

They will also be able to change who can see posts the deceased person is tagged in, or remove the tag.

here’s no word yet on when Facebook plans to roll out the new Tributes feature in the UK.

However, the question of what happens to our online accounts after we pass away is becoming increasingly pressing.

One statistician has predicted that the number of dead people on Facebook will outnumber living members by the end of the century.

Hachem Sadikki, a PhD candidate in statistics at  University of Massachusetts said the social network will turn into the world’s biggest “virtual graveyard” by 2098.

Phil Zeidler, co-founder of British digital life insurance company DeadHappy , said the new Facebook feature would let people continue to engage with a loved one’s profile after they’ve died.

“These can be weird and wonderful such as funding a wake party in Ibiza, or buying the latest kit for your friend’s favourite football team every year.

“For the more tech savvy, it can be keeping their social media profiles running for their friends and families to visit and keep memories alive.”

Source: UK Mirror