Google unveils service to manage digital afterlife
Google unveiled a service designed to manage one of the
most troublesome problems of digital life — how to deal with the
accounts of people who die.
Called the Inactive
Account Manager, the service offers users of Google’s Gmail, Drive,
Google+, Picasa and other Google service an easy-to-use template that
specifies what should happen in the event they die or become inactive
for a specified period of time.
The service is found
in users’ account settings page. It allows users to choose whether to
have their data deleted or made available to specified trusted contacts.
Users can specify whether they want the service to take effect after
three, six, nine or 12 months of inactivity. They can also specify
different actions for different service such as giving an attorney power
to go through emails and granting family members access to pictures in
Picasa.
Before the system cuts in Google will notify account holders via text message and email to a designated address, Google said.
“Not many of us like thinking about death — especially our own. But
making plans for what happens after you’re gone is really important for
the people you leave behind,” said Google product manager Andreas Tuerk
in a blog posting.
“We hope that this new feature
will enable you to plan your digital afterlife — in a way that protects
your privacy and security — and make life easier for your loved ones
after you’re gone.”
very nice
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