What Happens to Your Digital Footprint When You're Gone?

Have you ever thought about what happens to your online presence after you're gone?

Random thought: We spend years building our digital lives—creating content, growing online businesses, securing rare domain names, investing in cryptocurrency, and curating our social media presence. We subscribe to services, store important documents in the cloud, and even run entire businesses online.

Then, there’s the part where we secure those digital lives—enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on every account, using end-to-end encrypted emails, relying on VPNs, and ensuring no one has unauthorized access to our data. We lock down our devices, keep our passwords in a secure vault, and carefully manage who has access to what.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a doom-and-gloom discussion. I’m not here to make you ponder life’s deep existential questions. But I have been thinking—not about death itself, but about our digital footprints and what happens to them when we’re no longer scrolling. Do they just... linger? Do they self-destruct like a spy mission? Does some random AI bot take over and start posting weird status updates on your behalf?

That’s where a digital platform will comes into play.

What is a Digital Platform Will?

A digital platform will (or digital estate plan) is a structured way of managing your online assets after your passing. Just like a traditional will dictates what happens to your land, money, or business, a digital will ensures that your social media accounts, encrypted files, cryptocurrency, emails, and other online assets are handled according to your wishes.

It’s not just about ensuring access—it’s also about maintaining privacy and preventing unauthorized access to data that was never meant for anyone else.

Who Benefits from a Digital Will? (Hint: Probably You)

We all have different reasons for being online. Some of us are content creators, growing personal brands. Others are entrepreneurs, running businesses entirely in the digital space. Then there are the privacy-conscious, the ones with encrypted emails, VPNs, and layers of security keeping their data locked down.

And then there’s me—running a cybersecurity blog, making the internet a safer place one post at a time. I teach people how to secure their accounts, avoid phishing scams, and never reuse passwords. But here’s the irony: if something happened to me, would my blog just sit there, gathering dust? Would someone take over and keep the mission alive? Or, worst-case scenario, would hackers swoop in and turn it into a sketchy affiliate site selling "guaranteed Bitcoin multipliers"?

No matter how you engage with the digital world, your online presence doesn’t just disappear when you do. Without a plan, your digital assets could be lost forever—or worse, fall into the wrong hands.

So, who benefits the most from a digital platform will?

1. The Digital Entrepreneur & Online Business Owner Maybe you run an online store, a blog, or a consulting business. Without a plan, what happens to your domain names, website access, and payment accounts (PayPal, Stripe, etc.)? Many African entrepreneurs run businesses entirely online, from selling digital products to freelancing for global clients. Without a digital platform will, their business operations could come to a sudden halt, locking out clients and leaving money unclaimed.
   

2. The Social Media Strategist or Content Creator Your social media accounts are carefully curated, and some even generate income. Should they be transferred to someone, archived, or deleted? YouTuber Technoblade’s family was able to manage his channel after his passing, ensuring his legacy remained intact. Meanwhile, other online creators have had their accounts taken over by scammers due to a lack of clear digital estate planning.
   

3. The Social Media Enthusiast You’ve spent years curating the perfect Instagram aesthetic and have enough selfies to create a digital museum. But without a plan, your account could either disappear or worse—become an unmonitored ghost town. (Remember that time Facebook suggested you wish "Happy Birthday" to someone who had passed? Yeah, awkward.) Facebook allows users to appoint a "Legacy Contact" to manage their profile after they pass. Without this setup, your account could remain frozen in time or, in some cases, be taken over by hackers.
   

4. The Meme Archivist & Cloud Storage Hoarder You have terabytes of photos, memes, and files stored on Google Drive and iCloud. But does anyone even know how to access them? Or will your digital hoard become the internet’s version of a lost treasure chest? Some families have struggled to retrieve photos and important documents after a loved one passed because platforms like Google require specific legal steps (and without prior setup, it’s a nightmare).
   

5. The Crypto & NFT Holder Now, I’ll be honest—I don’t personally know many people around here actively trading Bitcoin or flexing their NFT collection. But to those who are? I salute you. You’re operating on a whole different level of digital investment. That said, here’s the thing about crypto: if no one has access to your private keys, your investments don’t get inherited—they vanish. Unlike traditional bank accounts, there’s no "forgot password" option, no friendly customer service rep to help your family retrieve your assets. In 2018, Gerald Cotten, the CEO of QuadrigaCX, passed away without sharing his private keys, locking away over $250 million in cryptocurrency forever. A simple plan could have prevented this financial black hole.
   

6. The Privacy Enthusiast Who Wants a Digital "Self-Destruct" Button Not everyone wants their digital life lingering around after they’re gone. Maybe you’d prefer your emails, messages, and cloud files to be wiped clean. A digital will allows you to specify which accounts should be deleted and which should be preserved. Google’s Inactive Account Manager lets you decide what happens to your account after a period of inactivity—including full deletion.
   

Why Digital Wills Matter

Without a plan, your digital life may be left in limbo:

• Loved ones may struggle to access or close important accounts

• Online financial assets (crypto, PayPal, investments) could be lost.

• Social media accounts may be vulnerable to hacking or impersonation.

• Private emails, messages, or cloud-stored files could be left exposed.

Taking control of your digital legacy helps protect your data and provides clarity for those handling your estate.

Legal & Security Considerations

Before creating a digital will, it’s important to understand:

• Not all digital assets are legally transferable—many platforms (like iTunes or Netflix) prohibit transferring accounts.

• Privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, U.S. Digital Asset Laws) may impact how your data is handled.

• Passwords should never be stored directly in wills, as wills become public records after probate.

How to Create a Secure Digital Will

1. List Your Digital Assets – Include social media, email, banking, crypto, cloud storage, and any online business accounts.

2. Decide What Happens to Each Account – Should they be deleted, transferred, or memorialized?

3. Appoint a Digital Executor – Choose someone tech-savvy and trustworthy who can follow your instructions securely.

4. Store Access Information Securely – Instead of writing down passwords, use a password manager with an emergency access feature.

5. Work with Legal & Cybersecurity Experts – Ensure your plan is both legally sound and secure.

Cybersecurity Risks & Best Practices

• Phishing & Scams: Deceased individuals' accounts are often targeted for fraud. Ensure accounts are closed or properly monitored.

• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Plan for how 2FA-protected accounts can be accessed by a trusted person.

• Regular Updates: As your digital presence evolves, update your plan periodically.

We plan for what happens to our land, houses, and finances—but in today’s world, digital assets are just as important.

If you’ve invested time and effort into protecting your online privacy, then a digital platform will is the final step in ensuring your data remains secure—even after you’re gone. Whether you want to preserve your digital assets, protect your privacy, or ensure a smooth handover, having a plan in place puts you in control of your digital legacy.

So, what do you want to happen to your digital footprint?

If you’ve made it this far, I’m going to assume we’re friends now, right? And what do friends do? They like, they comment and they definitely stay in touch!

So, why not take this friendship to the next level? Sign up for my weekly newsletter—it’s packed with good reads, tips, and zero spam (I promise, your inbox won’t hate me). Just a little nugget of knowledge and fun, delivered to you with love.

I swear I won’t overload your inbox with endless emails or spammy sales pitches. Just good content, great stories, and a few cyber-safety tips sprinkled in for good measure. Plus, I’m always down for a conversation in the comments, so don’t be shy—leave a thought, a question, or just a friendly hello!

Your inbox deserves something fresh, right? 😉

Until next time, I remain yours stealthily, TheCyberMamushka 🥷

Take a Reader Survey