How Does Facebook Know When Someone Dies?
In the digital age, social media platforms like Facebook have become intertwined with our lives in ways we never imagined. One of the unique aspects of Facebook is how it handles the accounts of users who have passed away. But how does Facebook know when someone dies?
through Legacy Contacts
One way Facebook knows about a user’s passing is through its “Legacy Contact” feature. Users can designate a trusted individual as their legacy contact, who will be responsible for managing their account after they pass away. When Facebook is notified of a user’s death, either by a family member or friend or through other means, they can memorialize the account and hand over control to the designated legacy contact.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for Setting a Legacy Contact
- Open the Facebook app and tap the menu (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner.
- Scroll down and tap “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”.
- Under “Accounts Center”, tap “See more” next to “Your Facebook information”.
- Select “Memorialization settings”.
- Choose your Facebook account and tap “Next”.
- Tap “Choose Legacy Contact”.
- Search for a friend and select their name.
- Choose permissions and tap “Save
through Memorialization Request
Another way Facebook learns about a user’s death is through memorialization requests. Family members or friends can submit a request to Facebook to have an account memorialized after someone has passed away. This process involves providing proof of death, such as an obituary or death certificate, to verify the request.
Unfortunately, you cannot submit a Memorialization Request for your own account while you’re alive. This process is meant to be initiated by someone else after your passing.
For someone else:
- Visit the deceased person’s Facebook profile.
- Click the three dots below their cover photo and select “Report Profile”.
- Choose “Someone has passed away”.
- Enter the deceased person’s date of birth and provide additional information if prompted.
- Upload a copy of their death certificate (optional but recommended).
- Click “Submit”
you can also search for this keyword ” facebook Memorialization Request submitting page” and enter the first google result page
Algorithmic Detection
Facebook also employs algorithms to detect when a user has passed away. These algorithms analyze user activity patterns and may flag an account if there is a sudden lack of activity or engagement. Once an account is flagged, Facebook can take steps to verify the information and memorialize the account if necessary, also when someone die, his facebook friends and family may be tagging the persons account when making posts regarding the dismiss
Conclusion
In conclusion, Facebook uses a combination of user-designated legacy contacts, memorialization requests, and algorithmic detection to know when someone has passed away. By offering these options, Facebook aims to respect the privacy and memory of deceased users while providing support to their loved ones.