Councilor Martins pushing Facebook to transfer deceased member accounts to spouses/partners

The following motion is scheduled for discussion at the New Bedford City Council session on 21 November, 2017:

8. WRITTEN MOTION, Councillor Martins, in support of Rosemary Heath, who lost her husband George in the 2016 Taunton Mall rampage, requesting that the New Bedford City Council send a letter of support to Facebook to change their legacy option, the current policy states that if a user is not named on your social media page after you pass, the page becomes locked, even for the spouse/partner, that people like Rosemary Heath have every intention to keep his memory alive through his Facebook page, sharing memories and pictures with his friends and family; and further, that Facebook not granting her access to her own husband’s page is an issue that is faced all around the world where the person you are committed to for life has no control of the social media page when you pass; furthermore, Facebook should allow for not only her, but for others to be the default legacy person and should notify them if someone is attempting to memorialize the account. (To be Ratified by the City Council.)