Understanding our digital lives, today and beyond.
The Digital After Life Project is a public-interest educational initiative exploring what happens to our digital lives when we can no longer manage them ourselves.
Digital information has become part of how we communicate, preserve memories, manage responsibilities and maintain relationships. Yet questions about its future are often difficult to answer.
More about the project
We make these subjects more understandable through research, accessible explanations and practical resources.
Our work helps people recognize important decisions, understand the limitations of technology and service-provider policies, and consider how information and personal wishes may be handled responsibly.
We believe that everyone deserves access to reliable knowledge about the digital life they lead and the choices that may matter in the future.
Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission
To make knowledge about digital life accessible, understandable and useful, helping people make informed choices, protect what matters to them and ensure that their information, wishes and digital responsibilities are approached with care as circumstances change.
Our Vision
A world where everyone can understand their digital life and make informed decisions about its future, supported by reliable knowledge, respect for personal wishes and responsible care for the information and connections that matter.
Our Purpose
Our lives extend into digital spaces in countless ways.
We preserve memories in photographs and videos, maintain relationships through messages, manage essential services through online accounts and store records that support our everyday lives. Our digital presence reflects parts of our personal histories, responsibilities, relationships and experiences.
Yet much of this information is scattered across devices, applications and services, each with its own rules and limitations. We may understand how to use these services without knowing what happens to the information they contain when our circumstances change.
A person may become unable to manage their affairs. Someone may die, leaving important accounts, records and memories behind. People trying to help may not know what exists, where to begin or what they are permitted to access.
Persistence, choices and everyday understanding
Some information can remain available for years. Other records may become inaccessible, be deleted or continue to create obligations. Even when something can be recovered, the question of whether it should be shared may deserve careful consideration.
The Digital After Life Project exists to make these questions understandable.
Not every digital record needs to be preserved. Not every account needs to remain active. Not every piece of information should be shared.
The important principle is that people should have access to reliable knowledge when considering those choices.
Through public education, research and practical resources, we help people explore the different parts of their digital lives, recognize important decisions and understand the options available to them and to those who may one day assist them.
We believe that knowledge about our digital lives should be part of everyday understanding—not something people discover only when circumstances become difficult.
Where our work is focused.
The Digital After Life Project works at the intersection of digital life, public knowledge, individual autonomy and the responsibilities that arise when personal circumstances change.
Our work is organized around six interconnected areas. Together, they address the need for reliable evidence, accessible public understanding, meaningful preparation and more responsible treatment of digital information.
Public Knowledge and Digital-Life Education
We develop an independent body of public knowledge about the digital information, services and relationships that have become part of ordinary life, with particular attention to what may happen when individuals can no longer manage them.
More about Public Knowledge and Digital-Life Education
This work examines how digital records are created, stored, connected, retained, restricted and sometimes lost. It brings together technical explanations, service-provider practices, privacy considerations and relevant legal distinctions to help people understand the choices and uncertainties surrounding their digital lives.
Our educational approach is designed for a broad public audience without reducing complex subjects to misleadingly simple answers. We explain differences that matter: between possession and permission, storage and recoverability, account access and ownership, and the continued existence of information and the right to use it.
Independent Research and Evidence
We investigate the changing conditions under which digital information persists, becomes inaccessible or creates responsibilities for individuals and others.
More about Independent Research and Evidence
Our research considers developments in technology, account administration, digital records, online services, data retention and the treatment of digital information during incapacity and after death.
We examine relevant evidence, identify gaps in what is known and make the limitations of available information clear. Where quantitative models can illuminate a question, we distinguish their assumptions and illustrative results from directly measured facts.
Over time, we seek to develop a documented body of research that can inform public education and contribute to wider understanding of the social and practical consequences of digital life.
Digital Autonomy, Privacy and Personal Wishes
We advance public understanding of the relationship between digital information, personal choice, consent, privacy and lawful authority.
More about Digital Autonomy, Privacy and Personal Wishes
Digital records can reveal intimate aspects of a person's life, as well as information about family members, friends, colleagues and others. Decisions about preservation, disclosure, access or deletion therefore involve questions that extend beyond technical capability.
Our work helps people consider their preferences while they can express them and understand the implications of different arrangements. It also explains the responsibilities and limitations that may apply to people assisting someone else.
We recognize that preserving information is not always the appropriate outcome. Privacy, dignity, personal wishes and the interests of others may support different decisions.
Digital Continuity and Practical Preparedness
We examine the connections between digital systems and the responsibilities, relationships and essential activities they support.
More about Digital Continuity and Practical Preparedness
An email account may be needed to recover several services. A device may contain important records that exist nowhere else. A subscription may support the storage of personal information or the continuity of an essential service. A digital record may remain important long after its original purpose has changed.
We translate this understanding into practical educational resources that help people identify important dependencies, consider continuity arrangements, assess recoverability and communicate appropriate instructions.
Our resources are intended to help individuals and authorized representatives make informed decisions without requiring unnecessary disclosure of sensitive personal information.
Public Awareness and Inclusive Access
We seek to make digital continuity and responsible information stewardship subjects of wider public understanding.
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These questions affect people differently according to their access to technology, financial circumstances, disabilities, cultural expectations, relationships and applicable legal systems. No single model of family assistance, account ownership or digital participation represents everyone.
We develop accessible public explanations and educational materials that recognize these differences. We also aim to support informed discussion among communities, educators, caregivers and organizations concerned with digital literacy and personal well-being.
Our ambition is to make reliable knowledge available before people encounter difficulties, while ensuring that those already facing uncertainty can find clear and respectful guidance.
Knowledge Stewardship and Institutional Learning
We are building a body of public-interest knowledge intended to remain useful as digital technologies, institutions and social practices change.
More about Knowledge Stewardship and Institutional Learning
That requires more than publishing information. It calls for accountable editorial standards, traceable evidence, responsible corrections, careful treatment of uncertainty and the preservation of knowledge in forms that others can examine and improve.
We aim to develop educational and research practices that can support future collaboration and sustained public benefit without becoming dependent on a particular technology, commercial service or individual.
The long-term value of the Digital After Life Project will be measured by the usefulness, reliability and accessibility of the knowledge it contributes—not simply by the volume of material it produces.
The principles behind our work.
Human Dignity
Digital information can contain deeply personal parts of someone's life. Photographs, messages, private records and online activities may reveal relationships, vulnerabilities, achievements and experiences.
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We approach this information with respect for the person to whom it relates and for others whose lives may be reflected in it.
Personal Choice
People should have meaningful opportunities to consider how their digital information and responsibilities are handled.
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Their preferences may differ. Some may want memories preserved or shared. Others may place greater importance on privacy, limiting access or allowing certain records to end.
We respect those differences.
Accessibility
Useful knowledge should not depend on wealth, technical confidence, educational background, disability status or familiarity with complex systems.
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We aim to communicate in clear language and develop resources that can be understood and used by people with different abilities, circumstances and levels of digital experience.
Accuracy and Intellectual Integrity
We distinguish verified information from interpretation, illustrative estimates and uncertainty.
More about Accuracy and Intellectual Integrity
We do not treat assumptions as observed facts, present changing provider policies as permanent rules or offer universal legal conclusions where circumstances and jurisdictions differ.
When evidence changes or a material error is identified, our responsibility is to examine it and make appropriate corrections.
Privacy and Respect
Information about one person can also reveal information about others.
More about Privacy and Respect
We encourage careful consideration of privacy, consent, lawful authority and the consequences of sharing or preserving records.
The ability to access information does not automatically establish the right to use or disclose it.
Independence
Public-interest knowledge should serve the people who rely on it.
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Our educational judgments should be guided by evidence, the public benefit and clearly explained reasoning—not undisclosed commercial influence or pressure to recommend particular services.
Inclusion
Digital experiences differ across countries, generations, cultures and economic circumstances.
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Some people rely on shared devices or limited internet access. Others face accessibility barriers, unfamiliar procedures or legal systems that provide different forms of protection.
Our work should recognize these differences rather than treat one type of digital life as universal.
Responsibility
We recognize the consequences of inaccurate explanations, misleading numerical claims and poorly understood guidance.
More about Responsibility
Responsible education means explaining limitations, avoiding unnecessary alarm and helping people understand when specialist assistance may be appropriate.
Long-Term Stewardship
Knowledge developed for the public should remain useful beyond the individuals who first create it.
More about Long-Term Stewardship
We value clear documentation, responsible corrections, institutional continuity and work that future contributors can understand, evaluate and improve.
Our Commitment to the Public
The Digital After Life Project is committed to creating educational resources that people can approach with confidence and understand without specialized training.
We aim to uphold the following standards in our work.
Clarity before complexity. We explain the subject in familiar language before introducing technical details.
Substance before volume. Every article, guide and resource should answer a genuine question or help someone understand a meaningful issue. More words, more pages or more statistics do not necessarily create more value.
Evidence before certainty. We explain the basis of material claims and acknowledge when the available information cannot support a definitive conclusion.
Practical value before appearance. A useful tool must provide a meaningful result. Attractive design alone cannot substitute for accurate content or functioning features.
Respect before convenience. Privacy, personal wishes, consent and lawful authority should inform recommendations about accessing or handling digital information.
Correction before defensiveness. Questions, new evidence and identified errors are opportunities to improve the reliability of our work.
Public benefit before institutional recognition. The knowledge and resources developed through this project should matter more than the prominence of any individual associated with it.
We regard these principles as standards against which our work should be evaluated, not as proof that every resource or website function has already met them.
Research, privacy and accountability
Research and evidence
Reliable public education requires more than collecting sources.
We also use illustrative models to help people understand the possible scale of digital activity and information associated with people who die. These calculations are educational illustrations, not direct observations of individual lives or complete inventories of digital belongings.
Privacy and Personal Wishes
Our digital lives do not exist in isolation.
An email inbox may contain conversations with other people. A photograph may include family members or friends. A financial record may reveal private responsibilities. An online account may connect to several other services.
Personal wishes, authority and responsible assistance
Decisions about these records can affect more than the original account holder.
We encourage people to consider what information they would want preserved, what they would prefer to remain private and what assistance they would wish others to provide.
We also recognize that a family member is not automatically an authorized or appropriate person to access sensitive information. Relationships, legal authority, safety, trust and the wishes of the person concerned all matter.
Our public guidance supports understanding and responsible decision-making. It does not authorize access, override service-provider rules or replace legal advice.
For this website’s practices, see Before sharing information.
Who We Serve
The Digital After Life Project is intended for anyone seeking to understand the future of their digital information.
Individuals can learn about their accounts, devices, records, personal preferences and available preparations.
Families and trusted supporters can better understand the questions that arise when important digital information needs attention.
Caregivers and authorized representatives can explore practical considerations while respecting the limits of their responsibilities.
Educators and community organizations can use accessible material to support conversations about digital literacy, privacy and continuity.
Researchers and public-interest professionals can examine the project's educational methods, evidence and emerging questions about digital life.
Our resources are intended for a broad public audience. They should not assume that visitors have extensive technology experience, paid services, legal representation or a particular family structure.
Our Future
The Digital After Life Project is being developed as a lasting public-interest knowledge initiative.
Our long-term aspiration is to establish an accountable, independent nonprofit institution dedicated to digital-life education, research, public awareness and practical knowledge.
This is an institutional aspiration, not a representation that nonprofit incorporation, charitable recognition or tax-exempt status has already been obtained.
Institutional continuity and our long-term ambition
Such an institution should be capable of serving people across generations, collaborating responsibly with others and maintaining the quality and usefulness of its resources as technologies change.
Its purpose should remain larger than its founder or any particular technology.
Over time, we hope to contribute to better public education, more informed discussions and a lasting body of reliable knowledge that remains useful as technology and society change.
Founder
The Digital After Life Project was founded by Curtis-Shyne Aboetaka with the intention of making knowledge about digital life and its future more accessible to the public.
The project is developed around a purpose intended to endure beyond any one person.
Explore the work behind the mission.
Understanding them gives us more opportunity to make thoughtful choices, respect personal wishes and approach the future with greater knowledge.
The Digital After Life Project exists to make that understanding accessible—and to help ensure that useful knowledge continues beyond any individual.
Our digital lives matter beyond the moment we live them.