Digital Inheritance in Israel: What Happens to Online Accounts After Death

When someone dies in Israel, the family focuses on bank accounts, property, and pensions — the tangible assets. But an increasing share of the estate is digital: email accounts with critical correspondence, social media profiles, cryptocurrency wallets, cloud storage with irreplaceable photos, and online banking credentials.

Israeli law hasn't fully caught up with this reality, and the gap between what heirs legally inherit and what they can practically access is wider than most families expect.

What Israeli Law Says About Digital Assets

The Succession Law of 1965 — the statute that governs all inheritance in Israel — was written decades before the internet existed. It defines "estate" broadly enough to include any property the deceased owned, which Israeli courts have interpreted to encompass digital assets that have economic value.

This means cryptocurrency holdings, domain names, digital intellectual property, and online business accounts are part of the estate and pass to heirs through the standard probate or succession process.

However, access to those assets is a separate problem from ownership. A Probate Order gives heirs legal title to the deceased's digital property. It does not give them the passwords, two-factor authentication codes, or the cooperation of foreign tech companies that control the accounts.

Social Media: Platform-by-Platform Rules

Each platform has its own policy for handling accounts of deceased users, and most of these policies are governed by US or EU law — not Israeli law:

Facebook/Meta: Allows "memorialisation" of the profile or permanent deletion if requested by an immediate family member. A designated "legacy contact" (set up during the user's lifetime) can manage the memorialised profile. Full account access or data download requires a court order — an Israeli Probate Order may suffice, but Meta's response times are unpredictable.

Google: The Inactive Account Manager lets users pre-designate someone to receive their data. Without this setup, Google considers requests from family members on a case-by-case basis. They may provide account content but will not grant login access.

Apple: Apple's Digital Legacy program allows pre-designated contacts to access iCloud data. Without a Legacy Contact, Apple requires a court order specifically naming Apple as the data holder. Israeli court orders are generally accepted but processing takes months.

WhatsApp: No mechanism to transfer account access. Messages stored on the device are accessible if the family has the phone and PIN. Cloud backups (Google Drive or iCloud) follow those platforms' policies.

Cryptocurrency and Digital Wallets

Crypto holdings present the starkest access problem. If the deceased held Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other cryptocurrency in a self-custody wallet (hardware wallet or software wallet), the private keys or seed phrase are the only way to access the funds. Without them, the assets are permanently inaccessible — no court order can override the mathematics of blockchain encryption.

If the deceased used an Israeli-regulated exchange (like Bits of Gold or eToro), the exchange will process transfers to heirs upon receiving a valid Probate or Succession Order and proof of identity. The exchange is subject to Israeli financial regulations and must comply.

Foreign exchanges (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken) follow their home jurisdiction's requirements, which typically means a US or international court order plus extensive identity verification.

Practical Steps for Heirs

Check the deceased's devices first. Phones, laptops, and tablets often contain saved passwords, browser auto-fill data, and authenticator apps. If you have physical access to an unlocked device, document all stored credentials immediately — before the device locks or the battery dies.

Check for a password manager. If the deceased used 1Password, LastPass, Bitwarden, or a similar service, the master password (or emergency kit) unlocks everything. This is the single most valuable digital asset a person can leave behind.

Request data under the Probate Order. Present the Israeli Probate or Succession Order to each platform or service provider. Some will accept it directly; others will require it to be apostilled or accompanied by a sworn English translation.

Check email accounts. Email is often the master key — most online services use email for password resets, so access to the deceased's primary email account can cascade into access to dozens of other services.

Planning Ahead

If you're an expat in Israel thinking about digital estate planning, the most impactful step is simple: create a secure document listing your critical accounts, credentials, and the location of any cryptocurrency seed phrases. Store it with your will or in a sealed envelope with your attorney.

Set up legacy contacts on Google, Apple, and Facebook. Designate beneficiaries with any cryptocurrency exchanges you use. These five-minute tasks prevent months of frustration for your heirs.

The Israel Expat Death Guide includes a digital asset checklist alongside the full estate settlement roadmap for English speakers navigating the Israeli system.

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