How do I manage a loved one's LinkedIn account after their death?

The social network LinkedIn is a must for many professionals. In 2022, there were more than 24 million members on this platform in France, including 11.5 million active members. In August 2022, LinkedIn had no less than 850 million members ^worldwide1. 

These figures demonstrate the importance of this social network. For this reason, there's a good chance that someone close to you has an account there. But when a family member or friend dies, you may find yourself at a loss. While the inheritance of the deceased's possessions is something that could be defined as classic, the same cannot be said of the succession of digital assets. 

It is only natural then to ask what steps need to be taken to effectively manage a deceased person's LinkedIn account.

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After a death, what happens to a LinkedIn account?

When a loved one passes away, their LinkedIn account remains on the Web. This can be problematic for a variety of reasons.

The first reason is emotional. If various contacts of the deceased are unaware of their death, they may be tempted to contact them. This will inevitably lead to notifications on a device that you might keep. For loved ones, this kind of event can rekindle the pain caused by the loss of the deceased.

In addition, the online profile can be confusing for colleagues, partners or clients who may contact the missing individual and not receive a response. 

Finally, malicious people may have the will to harm by hacking the profile. In this case, false publications are likely to be posted online. Hackers will also be able to impersonate the deceased to try to steal information or money from contacts linked to the deceased's account. 

For all these reasons, it is important to manage the LinkedIn account of loved ones after their death. If the social network user did not give clear instructions during his or her lifetime, the responsibility for managing the account falls on the relatives.

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¹ Digimind, LinkedIn : The must-have figures in 2022 in France and in the world, 2022

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What can you do about the deceased's LinkedIn account? 

On the platform, three actions are possible with respect to the account of a deceased LinkedIn member: 

• Report the death of the member ;
• Close the relevant LinkedIn account;
• Turn the profile into a memorial account.

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The actions available depend on your relationship to the deceased and the legal authority you have to act on their behalf.

Report the death of a member to LinkedIn

First of all, if you are not a member of the family of the deceased, it is still possible to report the death. LinkedIn offers a form dedicated to this situation. 

By filling it out and providing certain information such as the date of death and a link to an article mentioning the death or to the death notice, it is possible to request the deletion of the account concerned. 

Closing the deceased's LinkedIn account

A relative can expressly request the closure of an account. In this case, the social network, after verification of the supporting documents, closes the account concerned. 

The consequences are as follows:

• The LinkedIn account is closed immediately;
• The profile will no longer be visible on the social network;
• All data is deleted within 21 days;
• Within a few weeks, the profile is dereferenced from search engines.

Turn the account into a memorial account 

Finally, it is possible to transform a classic account into a memorial account. Unlike deleting the account, this allows you to keep track of the deceased. In addition, LinkedIn secures access to accounts by blocking them. It is therefore an ideal solution to preserve the digital identity of the deceased.

Here are the characteristics of a memorial account:

• Access to the account is blocked to preserve it;
• The account is disconnected on all devices;
• A specific badge appears on the account;
• Subscriptions are cancelled;
• Notifications and add requests are not possible.

How do I take action on a deceased loved one's LinkedIn account? 

Naturally, the social network requires proof from anyone who wants to close an account or turn it into a memorial account. Thus, it is necessary to provide many elements to LinkedIn so that it takes into account the request. These include the full name of the deceased member, his or her email address and a copy of the death certificate.

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In addition, you must prove that you are authorized to act on behalf of the deceased. To do this, you must send LinkedIn one of these documents:

• A letter of administration issued by a court;
• A letter of testament issued by a court;
• A court-issued retainer;
• Any other court order appointing you as the authorized representative of the deceased LinkedIn member's estate.

Formulating your last wishes: An essential act 

Finally, the best thing to do is to prepare the transmission of your digital heritage during your lifetime. To avoid many time-consuming and stressful administrative steps for your loved ones, it is possible to prepare your digital will today.

Indeed, no one is safe from a sudden illness or accident. That's why it's best to plan your digital estate at any age.

Using a specialized legal and technological solution will allow you to :

• Take a digital inventory of all your online accounts;
• Store them in a secure online space;
• Pass on account data and access to your loved ones.

By appointing a trusted person to manage your digital assets after your death, you make things easier for them. At the time of your death, the person concerned will be able to respect your last digital wishes and grieve in a serene manner without wasting time on administrative formalities.

If you have any questions and need support with these steps, please contact us .

👉 Formulate your last wishes on Solal Tech