memorial state

A status on Facebook that allows the user accounts of people who have died to be closed, but a memorial page remains accessible to friends online. Facebook previously closed these accounts, but responded to requests of people who wanted their friends’ accounts to remain live so they could stay connected.

Historical perspective: In early 2019, Facebook said a new system should help prevent people from getting notifications of dead friends’ birthdays, said The New York Times. Typically, after someone dies, a friend or family member can request that the deceased’s profile be deactivated or memorialized, which turns the account into a place where people can post tributes or see posts from when that person was still alive. But until a page is memorialized or turned off, the accounts will keep sending birthday reminders and other suggestions. Facebook said the new AI-driven system will be better at identifying pages of deceased users.