Intelligence Squared Who Owns Our Digital Afterlives? With Carl Öhman
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Apr 12, 2025 Carl Öhman, an assistant professor at Uppsala University and author of *The Afterlife of Data*, teams up with Stephanie Hare, a researcher and author of *Technology is Not Neutral*, to unravel the enigma of our digital afterlives. They delve into whether we truly own our data after death and the ethical dilemmas facing tech companies in managing deceased users' accounts. The conversation raises pressing questions about digital legacies, the permanence of our online footprints, and the responsibilities we hold for our virtual selves.
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Origin of Research
- Carl Öhman's interest in digital afterlives stemmed from AI's ability to reproduce text in an author's style.
- He questioned the relationship between a person and their data after death.
Internet's Fragility
- The internet isn't eternal; data only persists as long as someone pays for it.
- Facebook illustrates this, as they may eventually have more dead profiles than living users, which challenges their business model.
Digital Dark Ages
- Archivists warn of a potential 'digital dark age' where we lose access to our digital past.
- Öhman fears that tech giants will control historical archives and influence narratives about significant events like the #MeToo movement.
