Whose version of a person endures online after they have passed away — theirs, or a machine’s?
Previously, we human beings haven’t had a choice. It has been the social media algorithms that have decided what to preserve and what to discard, as well as how to deploy content after the account holder was no longer available. The results have sometimes run counter to the individual’s legacy and even upset their friends and family members
There’s now a solution, however. Groundbreaking new tools are giving people greater control over how their digital memory lives on
Algorithms, not people, have had the power
On most social media platforms, algorithms now shape what’s remembered about people after they have passed away, sometimes overlooking their own intent. Images and information can get repurposed in ways the individual would never have wanted. Algorithms may rank or repost the deceased’s content in feeds dedicated to memories, creating distorted afterimages.
Without a reliable platform that preserves a deceased person’s digital legacy according to their own will, some of the living have even been turning to a more controversial way of interacting with this orphaned content: reanimation. New AI-powered ghostbots, also called deathbots or griefbots, rely on the departed’s digital footprint to simulate interactions with the loved ones they have left behind.
Although some people have positive experiences with these constructs, finding them helpful for saying goodbye or gaining closure, others have negative experiences. According to a 2023 study, some of these avatars may forget easily, talk nonsense, or make other jarring missteps, upsetting their human interlocutors. For some people, these interactions reopen old wounds and even make them feel like they have lost their loved one all over again.
Consider the case of Canadian 30-year-old sound designer Rebecca Nolan, whose father had passed away when she was 14. As reported in Nature, her recent use of this technology “was not cathartic, nor did it give her any closure. After an emotional two hours of hearing her father’s voice from the machine, which she dubbed Dadbot, she ended the conversation, never to interact with it again.” She herself felt like she had “done something wrong” after shutting the construct off.
The main reason for these problems is that most social media platforms have not given users adequate control over what they leave behind, how it’s accessed, who sees it, and how it may evolve.
Why do algorithms have power over human legacies?
Most of today’s social media platforms prioritize user engagement, not preservation. These applications have been designed to encourage users to post, tag, and share as much as possible to sustain a steady stream of targeted advertising. Indeed, according to a March 2025 study, platforms try to maximize user engagement to such a degree that they can generate biased or divisive feeds that deviate from what users would actually prefer to see.
In short, these applications weren’t built for legacy or stewardship. Consequently, they still deal with these issues inadequately.
Indeed, according to recent research, social media platforms have widely divergent policies about memorialization, most of which have been developed only in retrospect. Some have not been transparent about how they treat orphaned material. Google deletes certain accounts after a designated period of inactivity. Others use this sensitive content to train AI.
This research also shows that the relevant policies are often difficult for heirs to understand. In addition, heirs’ ability to access the accounts may be compromised, or they may receive limited options for what they can do with the data. Court cases have even been necessary to litigate who inherits someone’s posthumous digital legacy.
Meanwhile, these conventional platforms do not permit users to set rules for what happens to their content when they’re gone. This keeps control over one’s digital legacy firmly in the hands of the algorithms.
The time has come for new tools that shift the power back where it belongs — into the hands of the human beings whose legacies are at stake.
Pioneering new tools give people the power.
New social media platforms enable people to manage their content’s afterlife according to their own wishes. This innovative infrastructure builds digital legacy into the systems from the beginning. They give people the power to decide what to preserve, who can access it, and how it will be allowed to evolve. They also determine whether or not their digital presence can be “reanimated” through AI into a ghostbot.
However, many people don’t realize tools like these even exist. According to a 2025 study in the UK, most people say they would like to exert control over their digital legacy, yet do not realize these options are available today, and participation rates are low.
Digital legacies that reflect who we really are
Human beings can take back control of their digital legacy from algorithms. This isn’t science fiction. These solutions are available today.
As more and more people assert their rights over their online content, technology will increasingly serve human memory rather than rewriting it. Platforms that prioritize digital legacy ensure that what we leave behind reflects who we truly are.
About the author
Darin Myman is the founder and CEO of Myseum Inc. (formerly DatChat Messenger), a modern platform that enables content preservation as well as social group media sharing. DatChat introduced the first messaging platform with delivery message deletion capabilities and message duration control. Myseum extends DatChat’s mission to help communities build connections and protect their digital heritage for upcoming generations.
