What Happens To Your Digital Presence After You Die?

Managing Digital Presence After Death

Our digital presence will outlive us, raising questions about managing files, social media accounts, and personal recordings after we pass away.

A traditional playbook exists for organizing affairs before death, including creating a will and naming legal guardians. However, a new consideration has emerged: managing our digital presence, including social media accounts, files, photos, and videos.

Information scientist Jed Brubaker, who studies digital afterlives, discusses how to manage digital legacies and prevent unauthorized use, such as being turned into AI chatbots.

Jed Brubaker is an information scientist and head of the Digital Legacy Clinic at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

So how do we manage them, and make sure we’re not turned into AI chatbots without permission?

Author's summary: Manage digital presence after death.

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Science Friday Science Friday — 2025-10-30

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