A New Zealand executor or family member should not begin by logging into a deceased person's accounts. Start by identifying the platforms, recording the person's known wishes, preserving valuable photographs and business information, and using each provider's official bereavement process. Facebook and Instagram offer memorialisation and removal pathways; Google considers closure and limited data requests; Apple has a Legacy Contact system; LinkedIn and X apply their own rules. The legal authority to administer an estate is distinct from permission to access private messages or use another person's login. The government's after-death notification checklist helps connect these account tasks with wider estate responsibilities.
Wills, Powers of Attorney & GuardianshipFirst decide what should be preserved, memorialised or deleted
Deletion is only one possible outcome. Some families want a public memorial, some wish to retain private photographs, and others need a dormant profile removed to protect a grieving relative or comply with the deceased person's wishes. Make a decision for each service, not a blanket instruction to close everything. A photograph stored only in a cloud account may be irreplaceable; once deleted, it may be impossible to retrieve.
Create a dated inventory of the deceased person's known accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Google, Apple, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, WhatsApp, photo services, domain registrations, online shopping, streaming subscriptions and any business accounts. Record profile URLs and account emails where known, without putting passwords in a shared spreadsheet. A digital inheritance checklist can help identify records the family may otherwise overlook.
Classify each account as sentimental, financial, contractual or business-critical. A personal Instagram account may contain family memories. A Google Account may be tied to the deceased's domain, bank statements, invoices or tax records. A business page may need a successor administrator while the personal account remains memorialised. The right action depends on the content and ownership, not merely the service name.
Establish who can act and which documents are required
In Aotearoa, an executor named in a valid will may need a grant of probate from the High Court; where no executor can act, an administrator may need letters of administration. Some services accept notification from a close relative without a court grant, but requests for private data or account deletion may need stronger evidence. New Zealand Government guidance on probate and estates explains the distinction between named executors, administrators and formal authority.
Gather the person's name, profile URL, date of death and death certificate where available. Keep identification and authority documents in a restricted folder. A provider may ask for the executor's photo identification, a grant, a birth or marriage certificate proving relationship, or additional documents. Do not assume one universal document checklist applies to all platforms.
The right to notify a provider that somebody has died is different from authority to obtain private emails or take control of the account. The deceased-person privacy guidance provides New Zealand privacy guidance; account access can also be limited by contractual terms, confidentiality owed to living correspondents and the provider's technical systems. Treat each request as a specific permission issue.
Facebook: understand the consequences of memorialisation
Facebook's stated default following reliable notice of a user's death is to memorialise the account, adding a remembrance indication and preventing ordinary login. Existing posts remain visible according to their previous audience settings. Meta's explanation of its memorial account policy distinguishes preservation from deletion and describes how a legacy contact may perform limited tasks.
A legacy contact does not inherit the account's password or the right to read every private message. Where the deceased arranged a legacy contact during life, that person may manage specified memorial settings. If no such contact was nominated, a family member can investigate Meta's current procedures for requesting memorialisation or removal, supplying the evidence requested by the provider.
Before seeking permanent deletion, establish whether important photographs, posts or stories exist only on the profile. Make a digital asset inventory identifying what is already held elsewhere. A family disagreement about preserving the account should be resolved where possible before initiating an irreversible removal request.
Instagram: memorialisation is not Facebook account management
Although both platforms belong to Meta, Instagram account handling is not identical to the Facebook legacy-contact arrangement. Instagram may memorialise the profile or process a request for removal from an eligible relative or legal representative. Its help pages and forms should be obtained through current official Instagram support rather than through an unofficial 'account recovery' agency.
Record the exact username and link, because display names may be duplicated. Be prepared to provide proof of death and, if requested, documentation confirming the applicant's relationship or authority. Preserve posts and photographs that can lawfully be obtained before submitting a permanent-deletion request. Do not promise that an executor can download private direct messages simply by producing a will.
For influencers, community pages and shared business accounts, find out whether an existing co-administrator can continue legitimate operations. The beneficial interest in business earnings or copyrighted content can survive the account holder; a personal profile should not be deleted without checking what other assets depend on it.
Wills, Powers of Attorney & GuardianshipGoogle: request account content before requesting closure
A Google Account may contain Gmail, Photos, Drive, YouTube, Android backups, calendars, subscriptions and recovery addresses for other accounts. Google's official deceased-user request procedure accepts certain requests to close an account, obtain contents or request funds. Google explicitly says it cannot give out passwords or other login details.
Its closure process also warns that if an account is closed, the company cannot later process a request to turn over its contents. This determines the correct order of operations: first decide whether any eligible data may be requested, then consider closure. If a family has requested photographs or records, complete that application and obtain Google's decision before submitting a competing deletion request.
Google's Inactive Account Manager enables a living person to select trusted contacts and determine what happens after an inactivity period. It is preferable to configure this in advance rather than hope an executor can obtain unrestricted access after death. Store details of authorised contacts in a secure executor handover pack without disclosing passwords.
Apple: use Legacy Contact or the regional legal process
Apple's New Zealand-specific deceased-account guidance describes a Legacy Contact route and procedures for requesting access or deletion without a legacy key. A Legacy Contact normally needs the deceased person's access key and death certificate. The available information is limited; passwords, passkeys and certain purchased or payment material are not simply handed over.
Apple explains that New Zealand may accept alternative documentation or processes rather than the exact court order required in some other countries. This is a reason to follow Apple's NZ documentation, not an overseas tutorial. An executor should understand the difference between access to iCloud data, removing Activation Lock and using a passcode-protected device. The latter may be impossible without wiping encrypted data.
Deleting an Apple Account can also affect personal photographs, shared subscriptions and data needed for asset identification. Decide what should be preserved, what is legally accessible and what the user's wishes were. The password access after death guide explains why an access plan should be separate from raw credentials.
LinkedIn: distinguish professional memories from account ownership
LinkedIn lets eligible users request a deceased member's profile be memorialised or closed, subject to its memorialise-or-close policy. Closing an account may require documentary proof that the applicant is authorised to act for the estate. Memorialisation can preserve a person's career history and public recommendations without granting access to private messages.
Where the account was connected to an organisation page, identify the other administrators before any closure. The company page and the person's individual profile may have different rights and roles. An organisation should not make somebody log in as the deceased to keep a page active; it should use its existing authorised administrative controls or contact support.
If family members want a record of achievements, consider an alternative archive of publicly visible professional history where lawful and permitted. It can be more appropriate than leaving a working profile that appears to be actively managed by a person who has died.
X, TikTok and smaller platforms: don't assume equal policies
X permits qualifying family members and authorised representatives to request account deactivation through its deceased-family-member process. It says it cannot provide account access regardless of the applicant's relationship. Deactivation should therefore not be mistaken for data retrieval.
TikTok, messaging services and smaller platforms have their own procedures, which may change. Search their current help centres using their exact names and avoid reproducing a support form address from a years-old guide. Some services offer deletion rather than memorialisation; others may restrict export to a user with existing lawful credentials or technical access.
A digital legacy security review can help households identify linked accounts, but do not place private data into a third-party site offering 'guaranteed' account recovery. Document which provider answered each request, what proof was accepted and whether any files remain accessible.
Wills, Powers of Attorney & GuardianshipHow the Privacy Act 2020 affects digital estate questions
The Privacy Act 2020 is important for handling information about identifiable living people. Its application to information solely about a deceased person and the contractual confidentiality duties of digital providers must be assessed carefully; an executor is not given universal access to private conversations by merely citing the Act. Messages often involve surviving friends, family members and colleagues whose privacy still matters.
A request for a deceased person's old photos can be different from one to obtain thousands of emails involving unrelated living people. Write the narrowest request capable of meeting the estate's legitimate needs. Include legal authority where the platform asks for it; accept that some content may remain unavailable under law or technical restrictions.
Copyright adds another layer. A photograph might belong to its creator rather than the person who happened to upload it, and licences for digital music or software may be non-transferable. A will can deal with transferable rights but cannot necessarily override a platform contract or manufacture access to data that no longer exists.
Avoid closing the email account first
The deceased person's email often provides clues to financial accounts, domain registrations, investment statements, bills, insurance and online subscriptions. If Google, Apple or another provider closes that account before the executor has identified the related services, the family may lose essential information. Preserve lawful evidence, inventories and account details before taking an irreversible step.
At the same time, do not impersonate the person or use their email account as though they were alive. Contact providers through estate or bereavement channels. If a subscription continues to charge the deceased's card, the executor may need to notify the supplier and bank separately. A practical executor guidance checklist can keep these tasks together.
For a business, check the domain registrar, company email administrator, two-factor authentication methods, billing accounts and data backups. Closure of an individual's identity should not accidentally remove services needed by staff or customers.
What to do when family members disagree
One relative may want a profile removed while another wants a permanent public memorial. Look for the deceased person's clearly recorded wishes, any platform legacy settings and the legal authority of the applicant. Where evidence is unclear, preserve rather than destroy data until the family has examined its options. If a dispute concerns estate property or valuable intellectual property, legal advice may be needed.
There is no general rule that the closest relative always controls every platform. Different providers apply their own eligibility standards and proof. A letter of wishes can explain preferences made during life, although it cannot override mandatory platform restrictions or legal duties.
Families should also consider the emotional effect of memorialisation. Notifications, automated birthday reminders and old posts can be distressing. Respecting the wishes of close relatives while retaining a record of meaningful photographs may require a staged solution.
A worked NZ estate example
Consider an Auckland resident who dies leaving an Instagram account with family photographs, an Apple photo library, an active Google account and an online shop. The executor first identifies the estate's formal authority and preserves business access through the shop's existing legitimate administrators. The family asks Meta about memorialising Instagram and Apple about Legacy Contact access, without deleting either account prematurely.
The executor next reviews Google's deceased-user procedure for possible records needed to identify domain renewals and bills. Subscription providers are contacted and recurring charges documented. If Google data is needed, the executor applies for that before requesting closure. A single secure register records each decision, applicant, supporting evidence and outcome.
This sequence protects both the family photographs and the business assets. It also produces a verifiable audit trail for beneficiaries without relying on anyone using the deceased person's passwords.
Ten-step checklist for NZ executors
Inventory accounts and identify asset-related services. Locate the deceased person's wishes and legacy contacts. Confirm who has authority. Preserve lawful family photos and financial records. Gather death and identity documents securely. Request eligible data before closure. Use each provider's official bereavement process. Stop subscriptions without compromising estate records. Record completion evidence and any unresolved refusal. Review all results with the family before deleting the final sensitive account.
Evaheld can be used to organise the records, contacts and wishes involved in a digital legacy. Any promise about direct platform access must still be checked against the provider's own legal and technical processes. See the broader digital assets in your will discussion for related inheritance issues and cloud storage and family documents for storage considerations.
Wills, Powers of Attorney & GuardianshipUse a preservation-first decision record
For each platform, write down the proposed action, the reason, the person authorised to request it and any content the family hopes to retain. Separate a memorialisation request from a data-access request and a permanent-deletion request. Those actions can have different eligibility rules and consequences. Record the provider's acknowledgement and final decision rather than assuming submission means completion.
Keep the evidence in a family document organisation system. Store identity documents more restrictively than a general list of accounts. A simple status such as data request pending can be shared with relatives without circulating the death certificate, grant or applicant's passport. A provider should receive only what its genuine process requires.
Use secure phone scanning for essential records if forms need to be copied. Check the complete page is readable and that private images are not automatically uploaded to a shared photo album. Encryption basics are useful here, provided the authorised estate representative can still recover the files and explain where the originals are held.
Plan for business pages and people who are still alive
A sole trader's account, a company page and a personal profile can have different owners, administrators and commercial obligations. Identify active co-administrators, customers awaiting delivery and records required for accounts or tax before seeking deletion. Closing a personal email address can affect a business service whose legal owner is somebody else. Use the provider's authorised business-support route rather than impersonating the deceased.
Private conversations can also contain information about living people. Keep a request for estate records as narrow as possible and avoid publishing recovered messages simply because an executor obtained them. The Privacy Commissioner's explanation of deceased-person information helps distinguish information solely about the deceased from information that also identifies surviving individuals. Confidentiality, copyright, contracts and technical controls can remain relevant beyond that distinction.
Record the deceased person's preferences in a memorandum of wishes during life, including what should happen to family photographs, public profiles and any commercial content. This is particularly useful where siblings would otherwise have to guess. The record explains preferences; it cannot require a provider to disclose content contrary to the applicable process.
Review your own account plan after helping an estate
Use password hygiene basics for shared family admin for the executor's accounts and keep support messages away from public forums. If a third party offers guaranteed access or asks for a recovery phrase, independently verify the service before sharing anything. A bereaved family can be vulnerable to convincing account-recovery offers.
Create an end-of-life document folder listing your own legacy contacts, provider settings, public profile links and the location of authorised instructions. Review it when accounts or phone numbers change. The next family member should have a manageable record of decisions and contacts, rather than a collection of passwords with no explanation of ownership, permission or what ought to be preserved.
Keep a record of refusals as well as successful requests
An estate file should show when a provider refuses access, which reasons it gives and whether a narrower request remains possible. A refusal to provide private messages does not necessarily prevent memorialisation of the public profile. Likewise, approval to close an account does not establish a right to obtain its contents. Record the precise outcome rather than marking everything inaccessible or everything inherited.
If a further legal document is requested, ask what it must establish before incurring the cost of obtaining it. An executor can then seek advice on the actual issue. Keep the family informed in neutral terms, particularly where a platform's limits prevent the result someone hoped for.
Related Evaheld legal resources may use Australian examples. Use their general planning concepts alongside the New Zealand legislation and official guidance cited here; do not apply foreign legal rules to an NZ will.
Your next step
Prepare your own digital legacy vault for online accounts with provider names, legacy contacts and wishes about preservation or deletion. Give trusted people a clear starting point without placing live passwords in the will.
