Description: This paper introduces the concept of "digital entanglement" — the phenomenon by which a user's identity, relationships, and data become permanently bound to a platform's infrastructure, persisting beyond death without meaningful legal protection. Drawing on quantum entanglement as a structural metaphor, the paper argues that Facebook's architecture creates irreversible binding between user identity and platform that survives the user but serves only corporate interests. Key findings: (1) By approximately 2070, deceased Facebook profiles will outnumber living ones (Öhman & Watson, 2019). (2) GDPR Recital 27 explicitly excludes deceased persons from data protection. (3) Belgium has no posthumous data legislation. (4) Departure from Facebook constitutes a form of identity homicide — the user's digital self is destroyed and the remains stay in corporate custody. (5) This mechanism coerces continued platform use, raising questions about the validity of freely given consent under GDPR Article 7. The paper proposes a three-principle framework for posthumous data rights and four concrete legislative recommendations for Belgium and the EU.
Soren Van Krunckelsven — Biniru Projects — (Tue,) studied this question.
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