What happens to iCloud when I die?

Apple's current iCloud Terms of Use page at

https://www.apple.com/ca/legal/internet-services/icloud/en/terms.html

still says the same thing as quoted in 2012:

No Right of Survivorship

Unless otherwise required by law, You agree that your Account is non-transferable and that any rights to your Apple ID or Content within your Account terminate upon your death. Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate your Account may be terminated and all Content within your Account deleted. Contact iCloud Support at https://support.apple.com/icloud for further assistance.

This seems pretty definite. What Gail suggests would give your survivors the technical ability to access your iCloud account (and not telling Apple about your decease) but this would be a breach of the Terms of Use. if you have important family photos on iCloud I would strongly advise your making copies on somewhere that other people can access then - a data CD or DVD would have its uses here despite being sniffed at by technical whizz-kids.

Their page on Media, i.e. iTunes purchases, does not mention what happens in the even of the 'owner's' death, but we know that music and other purchases are not transferable, though the use of Family Sharing might get round this. The exact position with purchases would be a matter for checking with Apple Legal.

It is as simple as leaving your Apple ID and password (and a list of your Trusted Phone Numbers) written down somewhere safe. Of course the Apple ID would need to be changed by the benefactor to an email address that they have access to, and they would have to change all of the Apple account information. But technically, if someone has your Lock Screen passcode, your Apple ID, your passcode, and access to a Trusted Phone Number or Device, then they can access your account.

Best,

GB

The specific question ownership of online data and purchases after death is very problematic. This 2012 article in The Guardian looked into the situation at the time:

Do you own your digital content? | Money | The Guardian

Regarding iCloud, they say:

Apple is very clear about ownership of iCloud accounts. It states in its terms and conditions: "You agree that your Account is non-transferable and that any rights to your Apple ID or Content within your Account terminate upon your death. Upon receipt of a copy of a death certificate your Account may be terminated and all Content within your Account deleted."

Regarding iTunes purchases (which wasn't specifically mentioned in the article) the situation with other online purchases seems to be that they are not transferable - the purchaser is leasing them, not purchasing them, and unlike physical CDs and DVDs etc. they can't be bequeathed. (The suggestion in the article that Bruce Willis was considering suing Apple over this appears to have been hot air.)

Things may have changed a bit since 2012 but I wouldn't count on it. The only way to get an authoritative statement would be to contact Apple directly, probably best done by an actual written letter (remember those?):

Apple

One Apple Park Way

Cupertino, CA 95014

You have bought your home and car (finance company excepted). You have leased software and downloaded media. The difference is that the latter can be easily duplicated - if you buy a CD you can sell it at a car boot sale when you are tired of it. If you download a song (assuming it's not DRM'd) you can technically pass it on to someone else but still keep it (which is illegal) - hence the difference in approach. It does get problematic when someone dies, and this hasn't really been approached properly yet.

I suggest a lawyer's perspective will be best.

An account can be considered an asset of yours. What happens to your home, car and other tangibles?