Using Social Media to Express Grief While Considering Security Vulnerabilities of Inactive Accounts of the Deceased

Abstract

It is through social media profiles that we can express loss, find support, and create online memorials of those who have died. Online profiles can be a powerful medium to both create a digital memorial and to also “communicate” with the dead. It is the communication with the deceased that is important to consider as we strive to understand how these tools can be used in the context of bereavement. At the same time, there are many security issues related to data and personal information of the deceased. The various profiles and user data we leave behind after our death can be a cause for concern from a security perspective. Complicating this issue is not knowing where data is located or account details and not having accounts secured. It is also problematic when it is not known when an account belongs to a deceased user, opening the door for exploitation. This project follows previous research on our efforts to automatically identify accounts through SADD - A Social Media Agent for the Detection of the Deceased. This project focuses on digital legacy issues from a security perspective and implications to consider for various digital platforms. In addition, we examine how social media can be used to express grief and continue bonds with the deceased.