It is not simple to deal with the profile of a deceased person on social networks. While some platforms offer the option to convert the account to a memorial, Twitter only allows you to download the tweets and save them as a text file before the account is removed.
However, this process is a little complicated: you need to have access to the person’s account and request the data download. Without the login and password information, it is necessary to fill out a Twitter form with the person’s death certificate and ask the company’s support for help. Otherwise, the social network may delete inactive accounts.
How to contact twitter about deceased person
The social network recommends that close family members fill out the form and then requests the submission of documents, such as a copy of their own identity and the death certificate of the person who died.
- Visit the Twitter support page at help.twitter.com;
- Select the option “Account owner passed away”;
- Provide the relationship with the owner of the account, email address, username and full name of the person;
- Click “Send”.
After submission, Twitter contacts the registered email and asks for more information to control false reports. At the end of the process, the network’s support team offers a way to deactivate the account, but does not include any option to recover publications.
How to download deceased person tweets
Twitter does not provide access credentials to another person. However, if you have the login and password, you can enter the profile and request the download of all data.
To do this, follow these steps on your computer or mobile phone;
- Access the side menu;
- Click on “Settings and Privacy”;
- Select the “Your account” tab;
- Click on “Download a file with your data”;
- Enter the password again and verify the profile;
- Click on “Request file”.
When the file is ready, Twitter sends you a notification to download it. This includes posts, interests, ad data, activity history and other information.
As of 2023, Twitter has changed some terms of service regarding inactive accounts. According to the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, accounts without activity “for many years” are removed from the platform and this may include the profiles of deceased people.
As there is no feature to memorialize the profile, the option is to log in sporadically to avoid deletion, if you have the password.
How to download tweets without account access
Here, the work is more difficult, especially if the person used a private account. In public profiles, it is possible to take prints and extract some publications, but API changes have disabled many platforms aimed at this.
It is possible to use the Thread Reader App to save Twitter threads, that is, publications made in sequence. The tool collects all tweets and compiles them into a single text, with the option to save it in PDF for premium service subscribers.
- Login threadreaderapp.com/;
- Paste the link to any tweet in the thread and click “Find Unroll”;
- Link your Twitter account;
- Get the text.
It is also possible to make the account private to avoid exposure.
