After noticing that many Facebook pages turn into memorials once people have died, the social network has introduced the ‘legacy contact’ setting - allowing a designated individual to make changes to the page, update photos and respond to friend requests.
Importantly, the person in charge of the page will not be able to see previous private messages between the deceased and others, but will be able to pull off special data like photos, to be kept as memories.
Policies spokeswoman Jodi Seth said the new setting, which is only available in the US currently, took ‘a lot of thought’ to make it right.
If a person doesn’t choose a legacy contact, Facebook will freeze the page as usual, a process called memorialisation.
Do you think this is a step too far? Or a realistic reflection of modern life and the way we grieve? Comment in the box below.