Social Networking Goes Beyond The Grave

“We live an increasing amount of our lives on-line, but what happens after we are gone? What will happen to all our photos, blogs and social network accounts? Until now our digital identities have lived on without us, leaving our loved ones powerless to control them or wind them down. Webwill is a new service to change that, putting you in control even in the afterlife.”

This first iteration of Swedish startup MyWebwill.com gives users the ability to edit their online profiles after they are gone: deleting accounts, editing status, removing blogs, and even emailing last messages to family and friends. Social media experts anticipate a new digital phenomenon: More and more people will use online sites to dispatch messages to one’s "personal village"… even from beyond the grave.

Online profiles and email accounts are rarely closed down for lack of use. Since most intimate, personal digital information lives on password-protected sites, it’s almost impossible to remove posts and photos without password access.

MyWebwill co-founders Elin Tybring and Lisa Granberg want to help people "take control" of "life on the Web after death." Lack of password protected access “represents an increasing problem" for family and friends after a loved one passes, says Granberg. Most people have not even thought of what happens to their digital footprint after they die.

Members can choose when to stop emails and messages, selecting a length of time after their death, and a backend system on the site links to registry boards to verify actual time of death. 

Subscribers choose the type of membership they want and what will become of their account upon their passing. It can be deactivated, or the account can be transferred to another person. Subscribers can also arrange for a final Facebook update or one last Twitter tweet. MyWebwill decrypts this data and fulfills the request upon notification of death.

According to Tybring, MyWebwill will be selective with advertisements, choosing complementary brands and products, for example – Symantec. Price range: An annual fee of 199 Swedish kronor – about $27, or one lifetime fee of 1495 kronor – about $205. The start-up might well take a few lessons from the life insurance industry on how to best market and sell a service to those for whom mortality seems so far away.

An aspirational branding story, this is not.