Intelligence Squared
Who Owns Our Digital Afterlives? With Carl Öhman
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.
49:50
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Quick takeaways
- The projection that deceased Facebook users could outnumber the living by 2070 highlights urgent concerns regarding digital data ownership and legacy management.
- Current laws permit companies to exploit the data of deceased individuals, emphasizing the pressing need for regulations to protect their digital rights and legacies.
Deep dives
The Growth of Digital Legacies
As technology evolves, the way we consider our digital footprints upon death becomes increasingly complex. A significant insight is that by 2070, it is projected that there could be more deceased Facebook users than living ones, raising questions about the future of data ownership. This statistic highlights the urgency of addressing who controls digital legacies and the implications for both the deceased and their families. The proliferation of social media has left a digital trail that requires careful considerations of rights, accessibility, and ethical responsibility.
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