- Japan is urging people to include usernames and passwords in their wills
- It could reduce the burden (and financial impact) on loved ones
- Deleting old accounts is also good for the environment
Japan’s National Consumer Affairs Center is calling on citizens to leave their usernames and passwords in their wills in its fight against unnecessary online content.
By giving family members access to their online accounts, it is hoped to ease the burden on those struggling to manage their deceased relative’s digital legacy.
However, there is another positive side effect: closing unused accounts will reduce the impact on data centers, reducing the environmental damage associated with cloud storage.
Japanese citizens urged by will to share passwords
Families often face challenges canceling subscriptions or closing accounts due to a lack of access to usernames and passwords, which in the best case scenario can result in complications and ongoing costs when it comes to frequent payments.
As part of its ‘digital end-of-life planning’ proposal, Japan is asking its citizens to ensure family members can unlock devices in an emergency.
On the more morbid side, residents of the country are asked to maintain a list of subscriptions, user IDs and passwords and store them in an accessible place where family members can reach them.
The news is a welcome step given the widespread adoption of smartphones and associated online accounts; the Center expects an increasing number of unresolved digital cases after people die.
Some services already include such features. Meta and Apple are two companies that allow users to assign old contacts to manage their accounts after they graduate, but the reality is that most online accounts lack this functionality.
To make things simpler, storing login details in a password manager and sharing just the login with it makes it much easier to ensure all passwords are passed on to family members.
Via The registry