TheMemorialCode.org is the code of ethics for memorial website services.
The Online Memorial Code of Ethics
Excerpted from the website description:
- The published code of ethics called The Memorial Code established to provide guidance to all website memorial providers. As well as the endorsing organisations, it is expected that all memorial website service providers should work within these guidelines in order to protect the rights and needs of bereaved people.
Additional Information
Memorial websites can play an important part in helping the bereaved with their grieving but events have shown that in the absence of any regulation, a Code of Ethics is needed to ensure the needs of the bereaved are always put first. A website memorial contains personal expressions of feeling and memories and the person creating the memorial needs to be totally confident that they can control who and what goes on their site and they need to be able to trust whoever maintains it for them.
After a call to action in Summer 2007, the Website Memorial Code was established by a number of leading service providers in order to provide basic principles and guidance in relation to the creation of memorial websites. The Code of Ethics will help to support moves to ensure that bereaved people are protected and respected when they consider creating an online memorial in memory of their loved one.
It offers five principles to the making and running of such sites - such as the tribute creator should have the right to privacy and be allowed to grieve and remember without hindrance, and that both the initial and recurring costs should be clearly displayed, along with full contact details for the service provider.
Jonathan Davies who founded the memorial charity muchloved.com created the code in partnership with four other memorial organisations - missyou, tributetimes, thelastrespect and remembered forever.
