In many cases, a person’s Twitter account can hold sentimental value, and many would like to memorialize the account after their demise. But, in most cases, a person’s Twitter account can be used to commit fraud or spew unwanted comments that can be greatly uncomfortable to the account holder’s loved ones.
Deleting the social media accounts of deceased loved ones will prevent illegal activities like cyber crimes or impersonation of their identities online. However, Twitter has several guidelines in place to allow an authorized person to delete or deactivate Twitter account of a deceased person. It takes more than just knowing their Twitter handle and their password.
Read ahead to learn more about how to delete a Twitter account of a deceased person. So, how to delete Twitter Account on phone or understand what happens when you deactivate Twitter, you first need to have the user credentials.
Here are the steps on how to delete Twitter account on computer, iPhone, or Android devices with clear, simple steps.
How to delete your Twitter account?
People often ask, can we delete twitter account? Well, the answer to that is yes. To delete a Twitter account, you will require the Email ID and the password of the deceased user’s Twitter account. After this, you can log in to Twitter from wherever you access the application and choose to deactivate the account through the Settings option. The detailed steps for deactivating Twitter accounts from different access points are listed below.
How to delete Twitter on a desktop?
To delete a Twitter account on the computer, you will require the Email ID and the account’s password to be deleted.
Step 1: Log into the Twitter account from your mobile or desktop.
Step 2: Click on the screen’s gear icon in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Select the Settings icon.
Step 4: Read the deactivation account information thoroughly
Step 5: Click on “Okay, fine, deactivate account”
Step 6: Enter your password.
This procedure will deactivate the Twitter account for 30 days, after which the account gets automatically deleted permanently. If you decide to reactivate the profile, you can log in within 30 days of deactivation.
How To Delete Twitter Account On iPhone?
As an iPhone user, the steps to delete your Twitter account vary slightly from those given for desktop.
Step 1: Click on the profile picture in the left corner
Step 2: Select “Settings and privacy”
Step 3: Click on Account
Step 4: Scroll down the option and choose “Deactivate Your Account Option”
Step 5: Read through the information before you decide to close your Twitter account
Step 6: Click on Deactivate
Step 7: Type the password and click on Deactivate
As Twitter has the same rules for all types of accounts, the account stays deactivated for 30 days unless you log in within this period.
How to delete a Twitter account permanently on Android?
The procedure to delete a Twitter account remains the same as that for deleting a Twitter Account on an iPhone. Using the exact straightforward instructions provided for iPhone users, you can delete your Twitter account on any Android phone.
While deleting an account is a straightforward process, not everyone might have access to a deceased person’s credentials. The digital space is intensely personal, and many prefer to keep their online interactions private, even from their loved ones.
In such cases, a verified family member can take the responsibility of deleting the Twitter account of a deceased person. Let us see in such cases what the steps are on how to deactivate the Twitter account of the deceased person.
How to deactivate the Twitter account of the deceased person?
In the absence of the password of the deceased person to log in, you will be required to provide some information to delete Twitter account –
The username (e.g., twitter.com/username) of the deceased user’s Twitter account
- The death certificate of the deceased Twitter user
- A copy of your government-issued identification, such as your driver’s license
- A signed written declaration
The signed written declaration should mention the following details as well.
- Your full name
- Email address
- Your contact information
- Request action (ex. “Please deactivate the Twitter account”).
- Mention your relationship with the deceased user or their estate.
- If the name on the account does not match the name on the death certificate, a brief explanation of facts that prove this account belongs to the deceased has to be submitted.
- An online obituary link or a printout of the obituary from a nearby newspaper (optional)
These documents need to be submitted by email to privacy@twitter.com.
Alternatively, one can send physical copies to the following address.
Twitter, Inc.
c/o: Trust & Safety
1355 Market St., Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94103
Fax: 1-415-865-5405
If any clarification is required, the Twitter team will contact you directly through the email address mentioned in the document. In case of any follow-ups or questions, you can also write now to Twitter at privacy@twitter.com.
Regardless of circumstances, Twitter is not liable to share the password of the deceased person, irrespective of any relationship held with the deceased user.
Things to keep in mind while deleting a Twitter account
Consider Before Committing
It is not possible to recover a Deactivated Twitter account. The memories, information, tweets, and comments will be gone forever.
Log out and Delete Cookies
To avoid reactivating the deleted Twitter account by accident, you should ensure to log out and delete your phone cookies –
Profile -> Settings and Privacy -> Data usage -> Media Storage
Download The Twitter Data
You have an alternative to losing all the data on the Twitter account. You can download the Twitter data before deactivating the Twitter account.
Profile -> Settings & Privacy -> Account -> Download archive of your data
You must re-confirm your ID with login details to request your archive. You need to click the push notification to view the content after completing the download. You can save the archive for future purposes.
With all the above points in mind and the information on “How to delete a Twitter Account,” you can make an informed decision on what to do with the Twitter account of the deceased person.
Conclusion
The steps mentioned above can be helpful to delete Twitter account and ensure that your loved one’s accounts are misused after their demise. However, apart from a person’s Twitter account, many other digital assets require safeguarding. When they are not taken care of the right way, there is a probability of losing the assets forever.
Educating yourself on how to protect, pass on or handle your digital assets is now imperative. Digital asset management can help us secure our digital spaces and data effectively.
We at Clocr understand the value of digital assets in today’s world. We provide a digital estate plan that allows people to protect their digital assets and draw up a digital will to secure them. With Clocr, you can secure all your digital data and control its accessibility with declared beneficiaries.
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