How to Delete a Facebook Account when Someone Dies
How to Delete a Deceased Person’s Facebook Page — or How to Memorialise It
I thought that this would be fairly simple but it turns out that the process is a little complicated, especially if you are nor very tech savvy. However, by going through the steps one at a time, you will be able to achieve what you need.
1. Verification of death:
- It is almost certain that Facebook will need to ascertain that the person is dead — this is to prevent malicious deletions or fake Memorialisation.
- Obtain a copy of the death certificate, or a verifiable obituary. Facebook may require proof of death, it will need to be scanned so that it can be uploaded to them.
2. Login to the deceased’s Facebook account, using their credentials if you have them. If you do not have their login details, you will have to contact Facebook directly for their assistance.
- 0333 303 4073 Freephone number, gives instructions on how to access the help pages.
Or
- Visit the Facebook desktop site.
- Tap on your ‘Profile’ icon (the little picture of you, or the deceased).
- Click ‘Help & Support’ and choose ‘Report a Problem’
- Click on the ‘Something went wrong’ option
- Fill out the form by providing the required details
- Once done, click the ‘Submit’ button
Or
Contact Meta (Facebook) Support — live chat
- Visit the Facebook/Meta website and navigate to the ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Support’ section.
- Look for the live chat option and initiate a chat.
- You may wish to enquire about speaking to a representative directly
3. Memorialisation or Removal:
You have a choice between converting the account into a ‘Memorial Page’ on which friends can share memories, or you can simply remove the account.
- If you choose Memorialisation, you will need to submit a request in the ‘Help’ section
- search for ‘Memorialisation’ and follow the instructions.
- If you want to delete the account, you will need to request it through the ‘Special Request for Deceased Person’s Account’, completing all the required instructions and details, including submitting the required documentation (scanned). You should be guided through the process.
4. Wait for confirmation:
- Facebook with review all the information that you have provided and contact you. You may be asked for more information but there is an established process for all of this and Facebook will guide you.
5. If you have requested Memorialisation:
- Inform as many people as you can via other means, eg. word of mouth, email, etc. to let them know about the page and that they may contribute to and read the Memorial Page.
6. Procedures may change:
- This should all be explained in Facebook’s Help Center [sic], so it may be useful to check this. You can also type, ‘How do I delete (Memorialise) a deceased person’s Facebook page? There is a lot of information that will be provided directly by Google — type in something like ‘How do I delete the Facebook account of someone who has died?’
I hope that this is helpful — there is more information about Bereavement, Grief and Mourning on my Celebrant Webpage:
Please feel free to contact me with comments, information or any questions that you may have,
Mark
