Passwords in Wills: Japan’s Initiative to Simplify Life After Death
The Japanese National Consumer Affairs Center has issued a recommendation to plan for your “digital legacy” in order to make it easier for loved ones to manage your accounts and subscriptions after your death. This initiative arose due to numerous cases where relatives faced difficulties canceling subscriptions because they lacked access to the deceased’s accounts.
Four Steps to Minimize Digital Inheritance Issues
- Appoint a trusted person to manage your digital data (in services that support this feature).
- Ensure your loved ones have access to your devices by writing down key logins, passwords, and PIN codes.
- Create a list of all your active subscriptions.
- Include all of the above information in your will.
With the growing popularity of smartphones and online services, the need for such planning is becoming increasingly relevant. Relatives often encounter problems closing accounts or canceling subscriptions, which can lead to unwanted expenses.
Technological Solutions for Digital Legacy
One possible solution is the use of “dead man’s switch” apps. These services send your data to designated individuals if you haven’t logged into your account for a long time.
Additionally, Meta* offers the option to appoint a “Legacy Contact”—a person who inherits the authority to manage your account after your death is officially confirmed.
Such features significantly ease the process for relatives, who are already under considerable stress. Experts emphasize that preparing this information in advance helps avoid both financial and emotional difficulties.
The Future of Digital Legacy Planning
The idea of digital planning not only helps organize your inheritance but also creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs developing these services. Sooner or later, most websites and services will be able to provide this functionality. The only question is whether our digital legacy will become an organized archive or remain a chaotic echo of the past, scattered somewhere online.