What happens to your data when you die? How should you prepare your digital assets, such as photos, email accounts, subscriptions? If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on these topics, please read further. 

Investigators:
Dr. Celine Latulipe (celine.latulipe@umanitoba.ca)
Simon Wermie, graduate student (wermies@myumanitoba.ca)
Lara De Leon, undergraduate student (deleonl@myumanitoba.ca)

We are conducting a survey study on how people think about and prepare their digital affairs for their death. At some point, every person will leave behind the material artifacts of their life: possessions, memories, and relationships that outlive them. In the digital era, many of these artifacts no longer exist in physical form. They reside in emails, cloud folders, photo libraries, and social media platforms, distributed across dozens of services and devices. Through this work, we aim to better understand current practices, identify challenges, and explore the goals people have when planning their digital legacy. This study is the second exploratory study in a larger project that will involve developing tools to support people in digital legacy planning and to support developers in creating post-mortem planning interfaces for digital platforms.

Study details: 

Participation in this study is voluntary.  Participation involves completing a survey which should take between 10-15 minutes, depending on the amount of detail you provide in your answers. We will not ask for any identifying information.  Questions will be about the following topics:

• How are you currently thinking about or planning for what should happen to your online assets and digital accounts after you die (if at all)?
• Who would you want to be in charge of your digital assets and accounts after you die? (just one person? multiple people?)
• What privacy or security concerns do you have about people accessing your online assets and accounts after you die?
• How do you feel about someone creating a generative ghost (AI chatbot) that represents you after you die?
• How do your beliefs about the afterlife/religion impact what you think about what should happen to your digital assets and accounts after you die?
• How does your social network and family structure impact what you think about what should happen to your digital assets and accounts after you die?
• What types of tools would you find helpful in planning for your digital legacy?

Dissemination:

The results of this survey study may be published in academic conferences or journals focused on older adults, technology, and digital accessibility. These findings may also help inform future technologies and legal policy decisions. 

Cost/Compensation: 

There is no cost to participate. There is no compensation provided to those who participate

Eligibility criteria 

We are looking for individuals who meet the following criteria: 

• Must be 18+ years old 

• Must reside in Canada 

• Must be able to read & write in English 

There is a risk of emotional distress that may be caused when considering death in this context. You do not need to answer any question that makes you feel uncomfortable and you can withdraw from the study if you are no longer comfortable continuing. If any negative feelings persist, you can seek support from a mental health professional. Potential resources to contact include the National Suicide Crisis Line at 9-8-8, Klinic at (204) 786-8686, the Canadian Mental Health Association at http://www.cmha.ca/get-involved/find-your-cmha/ or you can find a professional psychologist through your provincial psychological association at http://www.cpa.ca/public/whatisapsychologist/PTassociations/.

An indirect benefit of this study is that participants will have a chance to reflect on how death and technology interact with each other, potentially encouraging you to contemplate and plan for your own digital legacy. 

Consent Forms

If you are interested in participating in this study, please follow the link below to the consent form and survey.

Consent Form & Survey Link (to be added after protocol approval)

Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may withdraw at any time without penalty.  

This research has been approved by the University of Manitoba Research Ethics Board. If you have any concerns or complaints about this project, you may contact any of the above-named persons or the Human Ethics Coordinator at 204-474-7122 or humanethics@umanitoba.ca. 

Research Summary

Once the research study is complete, a summary of the results will be posted here (by December 2026).