How to Deal with Social Media as an Executor

The death of Steve Strange and the possible loss of his images and memories has made headlines today in . The article brings to light the real difficulty that many families are facing accessing and treasuring digital assets when someone passes away.

The family of Steve Strange speak of their fears that all of his digital assets will be lost and disappear from his digital cloud. In our previous blog ‘’ we discussed that while these assets may not have monetary value, the sentimental value for our family and friends cannot be understated.

The Digital Devices (Access for Next of Kin) Bill is currently being considered by parliament. As this is a private members bill, this may not become law. The sister of Steve Strange, Tanya Harrington, is now backing this bill so that a person’s digital legacy can be passed on to family members after they pass away. This story demonstrates exactly why a law like this would be good to have. However, we should not wait for this law to be passed, we should look to plan ahead the best we can in case this does not become law.

In the BBC news article, Tanya speaks of Steve not having anything in place when he passed away, as he passed away suddenly. This is unfortunately a common problem for families. Again, this highlights the importance of leaving clear provisions for how you would want your digital assets dealt with when you pass away through writing a Will.

Please contact the Jones Whyte specialist Later Life Planning Team on 0141 375 1222 or via the to arrange an appointment to discuss digital asset management as part of our further Estate Planning & Bereavement services.