Have you thought about your digital legacy? (emf2026)

Content warning: Contains frank conversations about death

Death is inevitable, yet our digital infrastructure remains woefully unprepared for it. While traditional "Letters of Wishes" provide a static roadmap for executors, they lack the agency to interact with our complex, data-driven lives. This workshop introduces the concept of the Machine-Readable Letter of Wishes: a framework for post-mortem autonomy. By applying a "If This, Then That" (IFTTT) logic to digital legacies, we will explore how to automate final wishes across various services, ensuring data is handled with human dignity and precision.

Traditionally, a Letter of Wishes is a physical document offering non-binding guidance to those named in a will. However, in an era of encrypted accounts, fragmented cloud storage and AI. Paper often falls short.

This workshop moves from the philosophical to the practical:

* Defining the digital legacy: Identifying the specific data points, social accounts, and assets that constitute a modern legacy.
* Pipe mapping: Applying IFTTT methodology to personal wishes (e.g., "If I am inactive for 12 months, then transfer my photo archive to named person
* Exploring autonomy: Discussing the ethical implications of automated execution and how it can alleviate the "administrative burden of grief" for executors.

In the workshop people will gain a foundational understanding of how automation can protect digital rights and dignity, starting that important conversation that benefits individuals, their loved ones, and society.

Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
about this event: https://www.emfcamp.org/schedule/2026/151-have-you-thought-about-your-digital-legacy