Using Social Network Sites for Memorial

In addition to creating an obituary in local newspaper, many people are looking to Facebook, a free social networking site, to connect with their loved one and his or her friends, share memories and to pay tribute to their life. Families find solace and pride in seeing how many people were touched by one life, and those far away can participate in the celebration of a life lived. And it can continue on as a living community centered on your loved one, to build a collective memory. Many people find it spiritually therapeutic to continue "talking" with a loved one after they've departed.

If your deceased loved one already had a Facebook profile, it would be prudent to follow Facebook's official policy of "memorializing" profiles of users who have died, which involves changing security options while still providing their wall and profile open for friends and family to pay their respects. Only confirmed friends can continue to view the profile and post comments. Once a "memorialize" request is received, Facebook will remove the user from public search results, remove log-in access to prevent tampering, and user will no longer be automatically generated as a friend suggestion to friends of friends, as well as remove features such as status updates and group affiliations. If you already have access to admin the page, changing it to "memorial state" may make it difficult to log-in to accept new friend requests or post status updates. Memorial page will exist until an immediate family member requests its removal. If you prefer to close the account, Facebook will comply, but they will not provide a password to a family member to access the account.

If you would like to create a new Facebook profile for your loved one, set up a personal profile on www.facebook.com, and enter personal information in the sign up box on homepage. You will need to enter an email address and create a password. Once your account is set up you can upload pictures, post statuses, and make and accept friends. On the bottom of your Facebook page you will find a link to their Help Centre, which will guide you through using Facebook.

Social Network Links

To make a memorial Facebook page, see the following instructions:

Go to www.facebook.com and click Help Centre at bottom of page. In Help Centre type "deceased" in search box and click search. Results will display a list of relevant FAQs to guide you through the process of requesting a "memorial state" or deleting an account.

Or for direct access:

Facebook Deceased User Policy
Information and a direct link to "memorial state" request form.

MySpace is another social networking site for setting up a personal profile and interacting with other users. MySpace also takes measures to block access to a deceased user's profile, but has fewer restrictions on profile-viewing. For information on using MySpace go to MySpace Policy