The 5-year-old social network will "memorialize" profiles of the dead if their friends or family request it.

Such accounts aren't new, but Facebook reminded visitors of their availability in a blog post this week.

Memorialized accounts are different from regular Facebook profiles.

For example, the site removes any contact information and bars people from logging in. The person's profile also won't appear in the "suggestions" section of Facebook, in which the site suggests friends to add. And only the deceased person's confirmed friends can find them in a search.