Most Australians plan for physical assets, but overlook their digital life.
This includes:
- social media
- cloud storage
- subscriptions
- devices
The hidden complexity
Each platform has different rules.
For example:
- Facebook allows accounts to be memorialised
- Instagram can memorialise or remove accounts
- Google allows data access requests
- LinkedIn requires proof of death to close accounts
What happens without a plan
Families may:
- be unable to access accounts
- lose important data
- struggle to close services
Devices matter too
Phones, tablets, and laptops often hold:
- passwords
- financial information
- personal records
Many now include features like:
- Apple Legacy Contacts
- Google Inactive Account Manager
- emergency contacts and medical ID
Practical steps to take now
- list all digital accounts
- assign a trusted contact
- enable legacy access features
- back up important data
Why this is becoming critical
Digital lives are growing, but planning hasn’t caught up.
Even basic tools like:
- Google Drive
- iCloud
- messaging apps
can become barriers if no one knows they exist
A better way to manage it
At Critical Info, digital planning is part of a broader system:
- record what exists
- document where it’s stored
- ensure the right people can access it
The bottom line
Your digital life doesn’t disappear when you die.
Without a plan, it becomes someone else’s problem.
Not sure where to start? Take the free 3 minute Critical Info Check. It shows what needs attention and your next step.
