Privacy Please explores the ways in which privacy is violated in the modern world and what can be done about it.
It doesn't need to be a mystery after you die. That is when it comes to your email.
There are few things that we take with us as we move through life. Maybe a family heirloom. If you're lucky, your loved ones. Email accounts filling up with personal correspondence, bills, medical records, and embarrassing moments from your past are one of those things.
Thanks to cloud computing, that collection will likely last a long time. Unless you set your entire account to self destruct after your death, you can't.
In active account manager should be enabled.
Think about the contents of your email account. As the years progress, your email account will accumulate evidence of the life you've lived.
Which can be useful. It's very personal. Is there really a reason for this data to sit for so long when you're gone?
The contents of your inbox don't need to be monitored by Google.
"We don't use information in apps where you store personal content for advertising purposes, and we don't sell your information to anyone, either."
The updated privacy policy from Google is reflected in that statement. The contents of users' Gmail inboxes will no longer be scanned for advertising purposes. Policies can be changed given enough time. There is a lot of time after you die.
Setting your Gmail account to self-destruct is just one part of getting your affairs in order. Even if it's only a digital mess, no one wants to leave it.
How to make the Inactive Account Manager work.
It's easy to turn on the Inactive Account Manager, but you want to make sure you do it in a way that makes sense for you.
It's important to understand what this setting actually does and how it works before we get into that. It doesn't know when you died. It uses inactive people as a proxy. If you don't log into your account for a certain amount of time, then the Inactive Account Manager will go into effect.
If you haven't used your account for a while, we will only start the plan.
Got it? You're not going to make a mistake by flipping this switch.
To set up the Inactive Account Manager.
When you've finished it, start it. Credit: Screenshot
Go to your account on the internet.
You can go to the Inactive Account Manager page.
"Start."
Pick how long it should be before it considers you dead or otherwise. It seems like a good amount of time, but you can change that setting to your liking.
You can use a cellphone number as a backup contact if you want your account to be deleted on accident. "We'll contact you multiple times by email and phone before we take any action," says the company. You can enter your cellphone number here.
Decide which email you want to use.
If you want your data to be shared with anyone besides yourself, you have to select "Next" and then choose who. "You can choose up to 10 people to notify us if your account becomes inactive." You can give them access to your data. A spouse? A child? No one? It's up to you.
Select "Next" and the option will say "Yes, remove my inactive account from my account." Three months after your account is declared inactive, this happens.
Make sure everything is in order, then select the confirm plan.
You have done your first bit of digital estate planning.
