Our digital lives now include far more than social media accounts. Photos, cloud storage, subscriptions, online businesses, authentication systems, intellectual property, personal documents and family memories can all become difficult to locate, access or manage when someone dies or becomes incapacitated.
Solexi.ai monitors independent research, professional publications and technology developments to better understand how this field is evolving. Independent research and professional publications document many of the same problems Solexi.ai is being built to address.
How to read this page
Below the evidence map, each section presents one external source we have read and verified: who published it, when, what it covers in our own words, why it matters for families, and how we read it at Solexi.ai. Every section links to the original.
Further down, the observatory themes show how many verified sources currently document each recurring question in our research hub. We deliberately publish no percentages and no "rising" or "declining" labels: we monitor a limited set of public feeds and official documentation, which is enough to identify a theme and not enough to quantify a trend.
Where the themes come from
Themes are defined editorially from the questions families and professionals actually raise, then attached to sources as those sources are reviewed. Our internal monitoring proposes candidates; an administrator verifies the source, writes an original summary and decides whether it is worth publishing. Nothing is published automatically.
The authors and organizations cited on this page do not necessarily endorse, partner with, or have any relationship with Solexi.ai. They are referenced as independent sources documenting issues related to digital legacy and continuity.
Evidence map
Four angles on the same problem. Each card opens the source section that documents it.
Cybersecurity — Future access without weakening security today.
Estate planning — Legal ownership does not automatically create operational continuity.
Privacy — Death does not eliminate questions of consent, dignity and data governance.
Digital business — Online accounts can contain intellectual property, revenue and business value.
Independent sources we have read and verified
Digital legacy is becoming a cybersecurity issue
What Happens to Your Digital Life When You Die?
Organization : Shared Security Podcast — Author : Scott Wright — Published : 2026-08-24 — Source type : Cybersecurity — Last verified : 2026-08-25
A recent Shared Security discussion examines what can happen to online accounts, passwords, devices, files, cloud storage, cryptocurrency and digital identity when a person dies, becomes incapacitated or is suddenly unavailable.
The discussion highlights an important tension: families may need future access to critical information without weakening the person’s cybersecurity while they are alive.
Why it matters : Digital continuity is not simply about sharing passwords. It also involves authentication, recovery methods, access dependencies, trusted contacts and the ability to prepare access without creating new security risks.
Solexi.ai perspective : This supports a core design principle behind Solexi.ai: digital legacy planning should help trusted people understand where to begin without encouraging unsafe password sharing.
The most important digital assets are not always financial
Hidden Digital Assets Checklist: The Online Accounts Your Family Won’t Know Exist
Organization : Security Perspectives — Author : Scott Wright — Published : 2026-07-30 — Source type : Cybersecurity — Last verified : 2026-08-25
Scott Wright highlights how digital assets can extend far beyond banking and social media.
In our own reading, the categories he raises span cloud photo libraries, password managers and authentication applications, recovery codes, document storage, recurring subscriptions, vehicle and device applications, loyalty programs, secondary email addresses, genealogy records, and family photos and videos.
Why it matters : A family cannot manage something it does not know exists. Creating even a basic inventory before an emergency can reduce confusion and give trusted people a place to begin.
Solexi.ai perspective : This is closely aligned with Solexi.ai’s focus on helping families identify and structure important digital information before death or incapacity.
The Creator Economy Meets Estate Planning: Protecting and Transferring Digital Businesses
Organization : Wiggin and Dana LLP — Author : Vanessa L. Maczko, Joseph M. Casino, Daniel M. Maloney — Published : 2026-08-13 — Source type : Legal / Estate planning — Last verified : 2026-08-25
The publication explains that creators can build valuable businesses through YouTube channels, podcasts, paid newsletters, online courses, memberships, social media platforms, sponsorships and intellectual property.
These assets may generate revenue and create contractual or intellectual-property obligations that traditional estate planning does not always address in sufficient operational detail.
Why it matters : The person who legally inherits an asset may still need practical knowledge that the legal document does not carry.
that the asset exists
how it is accessed
what platform controls it
how authentication works
which contracts exist
who should manage it
whether the business should continue or be wound down
Solexi.ai perspective : This illustrates the difference between legal inheritance and practical digital continuity. Solexi.ai is designed to complement professional estate planning by helping families structure the practical information, instructions and digital context that may be needed later. It does not replace legal estate planning.
Organization : Durham University (SSRN preprint) — Author : Mauricio Figueroa — Published : 2026 — Source type : Academic research — Last verified : 2026-08-25
Figueroa examines the growing legal and ethical concept of postmortem privacy: how societies handle privacy, dignity, memory and personal data after an individual dies.
The research emphasizes that approaches can differ significantly across jurisdictions and cultural contexts.
Why it matters : Preserving digital information is only one part of the problem. Responsible digital continuity must also consider consent, dignity, privacy and control — who may access information, what should remain private, and what should happen after death.
Solexi.ai perspective : Solexi.ai treats user intent and consent as central principles rather than assuming that all preserved information should automatically become available to family members.
Digital legacy is entering mainstream creator conversations
Make Money by Protecting Your Digital Legacy
Organization : Travis Makes Money Podcast — Author : Travis Chappell — Published : 2026-08-21 — Source type : Podcast / Media — Last verified : 2026-08-25
The episode discusses what can happen to creator businesses after death, including podcasts, YouTube channels, sponsorship agreements, subscriptions, intellectual property and online communities.
Why it matters : Digital legacy is increasingly relevant not only to traditional estate planning but also to entrepreneurs and creators whose businesses may exist primarily online.
Solexi.ai perspective : For many modern families, digital continuity may involve emotional assets, practical information and income-producing digital property at the same time.
Across cybersecurity, academic research, estate planning and the creator economy, the same underlying problem appears repeatedly: our digital lives are becoming more complex, but the information families may need later is often fragmented across platforms, devices, accounts and services.
The challenge is not simply preserving data. It is creating enough structure, context and intent so trusted people can understand what matters and what should happen next.
That is the problem space Solexi.ai is being built to address. Independent research and professional publications document many of the same problems Solexi.ai is being built to address.
These themes are tracked continuously. We publish the number of approved sources documenting each theme rather than a growth percentage, because we have no measurement that would justify one.
Secure access after death
How a family obtains legitimate access without password sharing, and how platforms verify that a request is genuine.
Approved supporting sources : 8 — Last updated : 2026-08-25