What happens to your Facebook profile when you die?

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There is a new feature on Facebook that suggests friends that you haven’t spoken to in a while.  Well, sure enough I logged on to Facebook the other day and it suggested that I reconnect with a friend who passed away earlier this year.

I did a Google search to see what Facebook’s policy was on this issue, and I found that there is an official Facebook form that your loved ones can fill out for you after you’ve passed on.

Facebook then removes your profile from public search results, but still allows your friends and loved ones to post on your wall as a memorial.

This doesn’t change the fact that it’s a little disturbing when Facebook recommends you reconnect with a friend who’s passed away.

I think Facebook needs to remove this feature.  How bout you?

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  • jspeer

    Colin,
    A good friend from high school passed away earlier this year. I had a similar experience as you on FB. There was a message that said something like “reconnect with her”. I would love to. So I decided to click on the link and wrote a short message on her wall.
    Cheers,
    j

  • Anonymous

    Colin,
    A good friend from high school passed away earlier this year. I had a similar experience as you on FB. There was a message that said something like “reconnect with her”. I would love to. So I decided to click on the link and wrote a short message on her wall.
    Cheers,
    j

  • jspeer

    Colin,
    A good friend from high school passed away earlier this year. I had a similar experience as you on FB. There was a message that said something like “reconnect with her”. I would love to. So I decided to click on the link and wrote a short message on her wall.
    Cheers,
    j

  • http://tribeswell.com Colin Clark

    I think you're absolutely right. It can be cathartic to connect with other people who were also close with a person who has passed.

    It's important that immediate family members fill out the “report a deceased person” form so that person's profile doesn't show up in public search results and so that it can be put into 'memorial mode'.

    I don't think it's appropriate for Facebook to recommend that I reconnect with people who have passed away.

  • http://tribeswell.com Colin Clark

    I think you're absolutely right. It can be cathartic to connect with other people who were also close with a person who has passed.

    It's important that immediate family members fill out the “report a deceased person” form so that person's profile doesn't show up in public search results and so that it can be put into 'memorial mode'.

    I don't think it's appropriate for Facebook to recommend that I reconnect with people who have passed away.

  • jspeer
  • jspeer
  • jspeer

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