Google unveils key to cyberlife after death
12 Apr 2013
Google Inc has done its bit to make us believe there is life after death - or at least cyberlife. Google has now introduced a feature, which allows users to decide what happens to their data after they die or become inactive online - the first major company to deal with the issue.
Called the Inactive Account Manager, the service offers users of Google's Gmail, Drive, Google+, Picasa and other Google services an easy-to-use template that specifies what should happen in the event they die or become inactive for a user-specified period of time.
The service is found in users' account settings page. It allows them to choose whether to have their data deleted after a set period of time, or pass it on to specific people.
Internet users around the world have expressed concern about what happens to their data after their demise.
"We hope that this new feature will enable you to plan your digital afterlife - in a way that protects your privacy and security - and make life easier for your loved ones after you're gone," Google said in a blog post.
California-based Google owns YouTube, photo-sharing service Picasa and Blogger.
Google said users could opt to have their data deleted after three, six, nine or 12 months of inactivity. Alternatively, certain contacts can be sent data from some or all of their services.
People are increasingly placing content on social networks and data storage facilities hosted in cyberspace, or the "cloud".
Other companies have also attempted to tackle the questions that arise after a person's death. Facebook for example allows users to "memorialise" an account.
''Not many of us like thinking about death - especially our own. But making plans for what happens after you're gone is really important for the people you leave behind,'' Google product manager Andreas Tuerk said in the blog.
''We hope that this new feature will enable you to plan your digital afterlife - in a way that protects your privacy and security - and make life easier for your loved ones after you're gone.''