This is how you cancel an Instagram account when someone dies
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking site where users can upload content and “like” and comment on posts. Given that Instagram is owned by Facebook, it's no surprise that they have identical "memorialize" policies. For more information on "memorializing" accounts please see below.
Required information
- Username
- Password
How to close an Instagram account
- Log into the account you wish to delete
- Select the username in the upper right hand corner and then “Edit Profile.”
- Select “I’d Like To Delete My Account” located in the bottom right hand corner
What if I don't have the required information?
To close or "memorialize" an account, Instagram requests that you contact them via this link: Instagram Help Center
With the news of your loved one's passing, Instagram will ask for one of the following documents:
- The deceased person's birth certificate
- The deceased person's death certificate
- Proof of authority under local law that you are the lawful representative of the deceased person, or his/her estate
How do I create a legacy account?
Instagram has settings that users can toggle while they're alive, and set up what happens in the event of their death. In this case, the person who passed away may have already chosen to have their page deleted upon notification from you of their death.
If they didn't choose "delete account upon my passing" as an option while they were alive, then Instagram will automatically "memorialize" the page upon notification from you of their passing.
A "memorialized" page will contain the word "Remembering" by the person's name, and Instagram claims that no one access this account to make changes. Only photos and videos that the person uploaded while living will be visible.
Official Site: www.instagram.com
Official Instagram page on closing accounts
Official Instagram page on Memorializing accounts
Atticus' Legacy Review of Instagram's closing account process after someone dies = 10/10 stars
Instagram wins the award for the smoothest closing account process after someone dies, as their policy is spelled out no matter how you approach it. They have a clear policy on the subject and are sensitive to the needs of their users, especially given how intimate Instagram is with their lives. Not only does Instagram have clear instructions for family members of deceased loved ones, but they also have a clear and secure method for non users to provide this information. Nice job Instagram!!!
