Google Account manager

What happens to your Google account after your death? With a new tool called Inactive Account Manager, you can now decide for yourself.

The Inactive Account Manager allows you to configure the steps that Google should take if you have not signed in to your account for a while (death is not the only case in which you can use this tool, however. Illness or disinterest can also be involved).

Trusted contacts can access and download your data on various Google services, such as Gmail and YouTube, and an automatic reply can tell people that your account is inactive. You can also delete your account entirely.

Use the Inactive Account Manager to set when your account is considered inactive and who to notify.

This account manager is activated after a period of inactivity of your choice: three months minimum, one year maximum.

One month before this timeout period begins, you will receive a text message warning.

Although it is called Inactive Account Manager euphemistically, Google is pretty clear about its purpose in a blog post.

"We hope this new feature will allow you to plan your other digital life, in a way that protects your privacy and security, and makes life easier for your loved ones after you are gone," wrote product manager Andreas Tuerk

The setup is pretty simple, but definitely spooky, with a step-by-step process for setting up trusted contacts and an automatic reply from Gmail. Once everything is set up, you can leave the inactive Account Manager disabled if you're not ready to set the plans in place.

Specify who is a trusted contact (click to expand).

However, the option to delete your account is too confusing as it is. Google says it can erase all your data "once all requested actions have been completed", but what this means is unclear.

How long do trusted contacts have to download your data? What if a trusted contact downloads some data, but not all? Can trusted contacts handle the removal process themselves? It's all a bit vague, which is a problem as you won't be around to deal with any issues that arise.

Still, this is a useful tool compared to Google's alternative, which involves a loved one sending Google a copy of their death certificate, among other documents, and waiting months to see if Google complies.

Set up your automatic reply (click to enlarge).

It is also one of the first attempts by a major technology company to automate the process of exchanging data in the event of death.

Facebook has a "Remembrance Request" form that can turn a deceased person's page into a place to remember, and Microsoft has a "Close Relatives Process" that results in a data DVD being mailed. Twitter can deactivate a deceased user's account, but will not provide access.

Google's solution puts you in control and lets you decide what data to deliver and to whom.

Google's inactive account manager works on the same principle that you check on your older relative to make sure they are still breathing. Basically, Google will monitor your Google account for signs of inactivity, like not logging in for months, not using the account at all, that sort of thing.

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