Marija Milisavljević has been unable to memorialize her deceased husband's Facebook account, despite multiple attempts over five years. Her husband died from leukaemia in 2021.
"Managing digital assets before death is often overlooked despite growing importance."
— Bjørn Nansen, Associate Professor, University of Melbourne
Background
Facebook allows users to assign a "legacy contact" to manage their account after death, but this must be done before death. Milisavljević did not have a legacy contact assigned, as her husband's death was sudden.
She submitted required documents (including a death certificate) to Facebook but never received a response.
Expert Commentary
Wills and estate lawyer Lisa Berte states that Victorian property laws have not been updated to compel social media companies to recognize executor authority, creating legal loopholes. This lack of legislative clarity leaves grieving families without a straightforward path to managing digital remains.
Platform Policy
Meta (Facebook's parent company) declined to comment on Milisavljević's case and directed inquiries to its memorialization request page. Other platforms like LinkedIn, Yahoo, and X rely on user reports to handle deceased accounts.
"Victorian property laws have not been updated to compel social media companies to recognize executor authority."
— Lisa Berte, Wills and Estate Lawyer
Aftermath
Milisavljević has since remarried but continues to advocate for easier memorialization processes, citing the challenges faced by grieving families.