From Personal Data to Digital Legacy: Exploring Conflicts in the Sharing, Security and Privacy of Post-mortem Data

As digital technologies become more prevalent there is a growing awareness of the importance of good security and privacy practices. The tools and techniques used to achieve this are typically designed with the living user in mind, with little consideration of how they should or will perform after the user has died. We report on two workshops carried out with users of password managers to explore their views on the post-mortem sharing, security and privacy of a range of common digital assets. We discuss a post-mortem privacy paradox where users recognise value in planning for their digital legacy, yet avoid actively doing so. Importantly, our findings highlight a tension between the use of recommended security tools during life and facilitating appropriate post-mortem access to chosen assets. We offer design recommendations to facilitate and encourage digital legacy planning while promoting good security habits during life.

💡 Research Summary

This paper addresses the growing importance of good security and privacy practices as digital technologies become more prevalent, noting that tools and techniques are typically designed with living users in mind, often overlooking post-mortem data access issues. The authors conducted two workshops with password manager users to explore their views on sharing, security, and privacy of various common digital assets after death.

The study reveals a “post-mortem privacy paradox,” where participants recognize the value in planning for their digital legacy but avoid actively doing so. This highlights a tension between using recommended security tools during life and facilitating appropriate post-mortem access to chosen assets. The findings underscore the need for better design recommendations that can facilitate and encourage digital legacy planning while promoting good security habits during life.

The paper discusses how current security practices, designed primarily for living users, may conflict with the needs of accessing data after death. It suggests a balance must be struck between maintaining privacy and ensuring that designated individuals or entities have access to necessary information post-mortem. The authors propose design recommendations aimed at encouraging proactive digital legacy planning without compromising on essential security measures during life.

Overall, this research emphasizes the importance of considering both living and deceased users in designing future digital tools and services, aiming for a harmonious balance between privacy, security, and accessibility.