Thinking about things that need to be taken care of after we depart this life isn’t always at the forefront of our minds. Did you know that you also need to consider your digital legacy?

What is a digital legacy?

This may be something you haven’t thought about before, but we all should. Your digital legacy is shaped by the interactions you have, and the digital information created online before passing.

We often put a lot of thought into what happens to physical assets after we have passed on, but what about the digital assets and digital presence that remains.

These are just a few of the ways you are adding to your digital footprint-

• Photos and other media

• Online banking

• Digital purchases, such as e-books

• Social media, eHealth and online education

• Service subscriptions

• IoT devices

You may have a digital presence and digital assets.

5 steps that can help you manage your digital presence –

1. Spring Clean your current digital presence starting with those digital platforms you don’t use anymore.

2. Create a Digital Register List usernames, passwords, devices. Keep this updated as passwords change, new subscriptions and devices purchased.

3. Leave Clear Instructions – Detail what you’d like to happen to your digital presence. To open, close or immortalise accounts and who you’d like to manage this (a digital executor).

4. Nominate Someone to manage your accounts on your social App, for example Apple has a legacy program and Facebook lets you nominate someone through the App’s settings.

5. Get Started – There are many free resources available. ACCAN has created a document titled Managing Digital Legacies and eSafety has a How to prepare your digital legacy plan .

How to manage your digital assets –

1. List your online accounts as part of your Digital Register eg. Banking, Flybuys, Qantas or Afterpay

2. Consider a Password manager and keep it updated.

3. Appoint a capable Digital executor and discuss how you want your online accounts handled.

4. Secure your plan and let your executor know where it is. Keep it updated.

5. Know what you can Bequeath and what isn’t yours to pass on. See end user license agreements to know which you will need to plan for.

If Digital Assets are not included in a Will they may be lost forever. Managing Digital Assets may also help prevent issues such as identity theft, reputational damage and privacy intrusions.

For further information on creating and managing a digital legacy:

• ACCAN: https://tinyurl.com/373529jj

• The Digital Legacy Association: https://digitallegacyassociation.org/

• The Digital Beyond: http://www.thedigitalbeyond.com/online-services-list/

• Choice Consumer Advocacy Group: https://www.choice.com.au/…/art…/digital-estate-planning