Background     As society shifts to digital environments, end-of-life planning must consider personal digital assets, such as photographs, videos, music, online banking accounts, and other virtual belongings. Attending to one’s digital legacy helps ensure that bereaved individuals retain access to sentimental or financially important content (1).  This Fast Fact outlines the importance of digital legacy planning and practical steps for health care professionals.

What is a digital legacy?  A digital legacy refers to the digital information that remains accessible about a person after their death (2). It is shaped by the individual’s interactions and the content they created during their life. It can include social media profiles, online conversations, photos, videos, gaming profiles, and personal websites or blogs. Additionally, a person’s digital legacy can be affected by content created or shared by others, including interactions on others’ social media pages or streams, and posts about them in online obituaries, blogs, or other external websites (2).

Technological challenges   Laws are evolving to address digital legacies, but many challenges remain. One key issue is the variety of “terms of service” agreements, as each platform or device manufacturer sets its own rules regarding ownership, access, and transfer of digital assets. Some platforms provide options for posthumous access, such as designating legacy contacts or converting an account into a memorial profile. However, inconsistent policies create confusion regarding legal clarity and family access (3). As digital platforms become increasingly integral to our lives, many organizations advocate for incorporating digital legacy planning into comprehensive advance care planning (ACP) (4).​

Four steps for patients to get started   If people living with serious illness do not address their digital legacy while they are still able, their families may face unnecessary stress and complications. It is essential to acknowledge that individuals differ in their comfort level with technology; older adults may require more support and reassurance, while younger patients may have informal systems in place.
Clinicians can encourage patients to consider these four steps (5): 

1. Manage online subscriptions and bank accounts – Patients should review their online subscriptions and financial accounts, deciding how these should be handled after their death. Unnecessary accounts should be closed, and arrangements should be made for two-factor authentication.
2. Organize and share important photos and videos – Patients may want to curate and share meaningful photos or videos by creating an online folder or storing files on a device, external drive, or cloud service accessible to a trusted individual. Some may also choose to print selected photos.
3. Manage passwords for electronic devices – Since mobile phones and other devices are password-protected, patients should consider secure ways to share access with trusted individuals, such as transferring ownership or safely sharing passwords.
4. Develop a plan for social media accounts – Patients might want to download and pass on their posts, photos, and videos from social media platforms. They can also designate a manager to memorialize their accounts. Understanding platform-specific features and policies can guide these decisions (6). 

Clinician support in digital legacy planning: 

• Introduce the concept early in ACP discussions to normalize digital planning (7).
• Refer patients to legal professionals for digital assets with financial, legal, or copyright implications.
• Share reputable educational resources like MyWishes (8) and the Digital Legacy Association (2).
• Recognize that digital legacy planning can evoke grief, unresolved memories, or feelings of burden. Provide bereavement or psychological support as needed.
• Hospice providers should ensure their bereavement services include guidance on digital legacies (9). They can also inform patients and caregivers about tools that help organize digital accounts and critical information. Cloud documents can store end-of-life instructions, important contacts, the location of key documents, recurring bills, and financial account information. Password managers can securely store login information (10).

Implementation considerations:  Most clinical teams may not yet have a dedicated digital legacy specialist. A practical approach is to screen for digital planning needs during ACP discussions and refer patients to a designated point person—such as a social worker, bereavement coordinator, chaplain, lawyer, or digital legacy liaison or champion—when unmet needs are identified. Trained volunteers, working under supervision and privacy protocols, can provide education, help organize digital inventories, and inform patients about platform-specific options. A medical student-run clinic helping patients with digital legacy issues on a volunteer basis has been described (11)..

Summary: Digital legacy planning is an emerging area in end of life planning. Healthcare professionals can play a vital role by initiating conversations, guiding patients to document their wishes, facilitating legal consultations where needed, and providing credible resources for digital legacy planning.

References 

1. Stanley S, Higginbotham K, Finucane A, et al. A grounded theory study exploring palliative care healthcare professionals’ experiences of managing digital legacy as part of advance care planning for people receiving palliative care. Palliat Med 2023;37(9):1424–1433; doi: 10.1177/02692163231194198.
2. Digital Legacy Association, What is a Digital Legacy?  Available at https://digitallegacyassociation.org/  Last accessed 10/12/25.
3. Doyle DT, Brubaker JR. Digital Legacy: A Systematic Literature Review. Proc ACM Hum-Comput Interact 2023;7(CSCW2):268:1-268:26; doi: 10.1145/3610059.
4. Norris J,  Sofka C., et al. Why Digital Assets planning and Digital Legacy safeguarding should form a holistic approach to advance care planning doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.10979.57125.
5. Sorting out your Digital Assets and Digital Legacy Leaflet https://digitallegacyassociation.org/resources-2/ Last accessed 6/11/25).
6. DeSanto-Madeya S, Tjia J, Fitch C, et al. Feasibility and Acceptability of Digital Legacy-Making: An Innovative Story-Telling Intervention for Adults With Cancer. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2021;38(7):772–777; doi: 10.1177/1049909120971569.
7. Sokol LL, Jordan SR, Applebaum AJ, et al. Social Media Perceptions of Legacy-Making: A Qualitative Analysis. Palliat Med Rep 2020;1(1):326–330; doi: 10.1089/pmr.2020.0069.
8. MyWishes: Free Will Writing, Digital Legacy, Advance Care Plan & Funeral software. https://www.mywishes.co.uk/how-it-works. Last accessed 9/17/25.
9. Coop H, Marlow C. Do we prepare patients for their digital legacy? A survey of palliative care professionals. Palliat Med 2019;33(1):114–115; doi: 10.1177/0269216318802748.
10. Prates RO, Rosson MB, de Souza CS. Making Decisions About Digital Legacy with Google’s Inactive Account Manager. In: Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2015. (Abascal J, Barbosa S, Fetter M, et al. eds) Springer International Publishing: Cham; 2015; pp. 201–209; doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-22701-6_14.
11. University of Colorado Boulder. Digital legacy clinic – College of Media, Communication, and information. Information available at: https://www.colorado.edu/center/digital-legacy/. Last accessed 6/11/25. 

Authors’ Affiliations: 1Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, Kasturba Medical College Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India- 576104; 2MyWishes & The Digital Legacy Association, Mount Vernon Hospital; Michael Sobell Hospice, Palliative Care Department, Northwood, UK.
Conflicts of Interest: AG – none declared, JN – Founder, MyWishes & The Digital Legacy Association.
Version History: first electronically published in October 2025; originally edited by Sean Marks MD.