Exploring the Experiences of People Who Inherited Digital Assets from Deceased Users: A Search for Better Computing Solutions.

Users produce a significant amount of data in different internet spaces and, after their death, these data constitute part of their digital legacy, which can be managed by third parties. However, what are the perceptions of heirs and legacy managers when interacting with such systems? The aim of this research was to explore the experience of family members and others who inherited digital legacies from loved ones in systems that enable post-mortem digital legacy management. It also sought to understand how heirs interacted with these digital artifacts. To this end, the study was divided into two parts. Initially, a Systematic Literature Review was carried out in search of studies from 2015 to 2022 that addressed such issues. Next, we conducted an in-depth qualitative study with online interviews with people who had inherited digital assets and/or had turned a deceased person’s profile into a digital memorial on Facebook. Based on our findings, we discuss how to enhance and improve aspects that affect interaction involving digital legacy.