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TikTok has seen immense growth since its international release in 2017. The platform has undergone several changes throughout the year, and as the US App Store ban looms, it seems TikTok’s parent company is looking to add a highly requested feature.
Memorialized accounts are coming soon
First discovered by the data miner AssembleDebug on X, TikTok is seemingly adding a “Memorialized Account” feature. As the name suggests, the upcoming update aims to eternalize the accounts of deceased users to ensure they remain unchanged after their passing.
Spotted string in version 33.9.2 include:
“This account is memorialized. We don’t allow anyone to manage a memorialized account. However, if you think we made a mistake, report it to us.”
“Memorialized account.”
“This account has been memorialized. Memorialized accounts are a place to remember and celebrate someone’s life after they’ve passed away.”
“Remembering.”
A memorialized account will be unmanageable according to the discovered code. Thanks to this, no one can post clips or comment on TikToks through it. Not only will this stop those with access to a deceased user’s account from posting with it, but utilizing a deceased person’s account, whether from accessing it through underhanded or legitimate means, will also be impossible. Deleting a TikTok account instead of memorializing it will likely be possible as an alternative.
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which may split from TikTok in the US, might introduce the memorialized account feature as early as version 33.9.2. Since the latest app version is 33.8.0 at the time of writing, users can expect to see the new feature implemented soon.
TikTok won’t be the first to do it
The concept of memorialized accounts isn’t new. Meta introduced the feature for Facebook and Instagram, and Microsoft did the same with LinkedIn. For all three platforms, someone must request to have an account memorialized while submitting proof of the original user’s passing. The submitted evidence can range from death certificates to news articles and official letters.
Something Instagram and LinkedIn have in common is that access to a memorialized account is completely locked. While the profile is visible, both by searching for it on the platform and by directly going to the profile, there’s an indication that the original user has passed.
Interestingly, memorializing an account on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s completely unmanageable. According to the Facebook memorialization form, “the only person who can manage a memorialized account is a legacy contact selected by the account holder.” TikTok likely won’t have this feature, as the code clearly states it doesn’t allow anyone to manage a memorialized account.
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