Prepare your digital legacy plan so that your family will not be bothered by your contracts hidden in your smartphone

One of the unique assets in modern society with smartphones and computers is a digital legacy¹. In Japan, those who use the Internet on smartphones account for about 90% of people in the 20-59 age group, 78.3% in their 60s, and 49.4% in their 70s². It is expected that an increasing number of people will leave digital legacies when they pass away in the future. It appears that there is a growing need for a digital legacy plan.

The term "digital legacy" does not have a clear definition. When people mention a digital legacy, it includes online asset data held by the deceased as well as accounts for subscriptions³. In some cases, the bereaved have difficulty in confirming and canceling digital contracts because there's no way to do so without user ID and password.

Here, we would like to share some cases related to digital legacies received by local consumer affairs centers and the like across Japan as well as information on "digital legacy planning" to prevent the bereaved from getting in trouble.

1. ¹ The term "digital legacy" does not have a clear definition. Here, it refers to data that can be seen on digital devices and services signed up for online, not including digital devices themselves such as computers and smartphones.
2. ² Results of the telecom use trend survey in 2023 issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on June 7, 2024 [PDF] (Japanese page)
3. ³ A service that allows you to use products or services for a fixed period of time by paying a set fee on a regular basis.

Sample Cases

• Although I want to start the inheritance procedures for online bank assets held by a deceased family member, I cannot unlock his smartphone and there's no way to identify his counterparties who have been paid from his bank account.
• I cannot complete the inheritance procedures for the QR code payment service even after a month.
• Although I want to stop billing of a subscription made by a deceased family member, I don't know the user ID and password.

Problems highlighted by the sampling of cases

• Without knowing passwords for smartphones and computers held by the deceased, it's difficult for others to unlock such digital devices.
• It's difficult for anyone other than the person in question to grasp online assets. It can take a long time to complete the inheritance procedures.
• Billing continues unless a subscription is canceled.

Prepare your digital legacy plan not to bother the bereaved - Memories cherished, no trouble left

• Be ready just in case. Provide your family members with a solution to unlock your smartphones and computers after you pass away.
• Organize details of your online assets and subscriptions (e.g. service name, user ID and password).
• Consider using a "preplanning notebook".
• Use a service to designate someone to access your smartphone account in case of an emergency.