Recently, a few friends have told me about a new service that stores all your online passwords or assets, called Legacy Locker. The basic premiss of this service is to provide a way for your family and friends to access your online accounts when you pass. This can include your username and passwords to your Facebook, blog, Flickr, etc.
When you pass away you can ensure that all your online accounts are easily accessed by the people you love. For a society that is becoming more and more digital, this type of a service may become very popular — although how many people actually realise how important it may be?
As an example, I live online. That’s to be expected given the geek I am. I store all my important photos, documents, emails, and thoughts online. I even log what music I love, and text messages I send. Yeah, sure I go overboard, but what a wealth of information I can leave behind if I were to use a service like Legacy Locker.
Legacy Locker also provides members with the ability to store some important documents, and upload several video messages. That way you can leave a video note to those you love — no need to keep a VHS tape or DVD laying around.
On another note, there is also some concern about the longevity of the type of data that we currently use. For instance, will your family be able to view the digital photos you store 50 years from now? It’s entirely possible that the software they use will not be able to open our legacy files. It’s like having an old Betamax tape knocking about. How would you play that today?
But back to storing passwords. Another very valid option is to ensure that all your online asset details are stored in your estate planning documents. Easier said than done I know. But for online denizens such as myself, it’s serious consideration.
The only question remains, will you outlive services like Legacy Locker?
