open_in_newOriginal article
Facebook deletes live videos: Journalists concerned

Facebook deletes live videos: Journalists concerned

  • 22 hours ago
  • heise.de
  • Keywords: Datenverarbeitung, Datenbank

Facebook is deleting live videos after 30 days, raising concerns among journalists who rely on them to document contemporary events like Hong Kong protests. Users can only save these videos if they are the uploader, as Meta's new policy removes older content automatically.

Meta Reports

Estimated market influence

Meta Platforms

Meta Platforms

Negative
Analyst rating: Strong buy

Meta is changing its policy on live video storage, which affects users and media.

RTHK

Negative
Analyst rating: N/A

RTHK's live videos may be lost due to Facebook's new policy.

Context

Analysis of Facebook's Live Video Deletion Policy

  • Effective Date: February 19, 2023
  • Storage Duration: New live videos are automatically deleted after 30 days
  • Notification Period: Users receive a notification starting a 90-day period before deletion begins
  • Deletion Exception: Live videos in memorialized profiles of deceased users are not deleted

Key Concerns and Implications

  • Journalistic and Historical Impact:

    • Journalists, civil rights activists, and historians are worried about the loss of important documentation, such as live coverage of events like the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests.
    • The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) has urged media to save their live videos, emphasizing the importance of preserving historical records.

  • RTHK Live Video Risk:

    • Live broadcasts from RTHK, a state broadcaster now under central government control in Beijing, are at risk of being deleted. This could allow those in power to spread their narrative without accountability.

Data Preservation Challenges

  • User Responsibility: Only the original uploader or account administrators can download live videos.
  • Download Options: Users can download all live videos from a profile or use the activity log to access available videos within specific date ranges.

Market and Industry Implications

  • Shift in Content Management: The policy highlights Facebook's focus on reducing storage costs and streamlining content, potentially impacting user trust in the platform for preserving important records.

  • Competitive Dynamics: Other social media platforms may face pressure to address similar concerns about data preservation and historical documentation.

  • Regulatory Considerations: While no specific regulations are mentioned, the deletion policy raises questions about compliance with broader data retention standards and public interest considerations.

Long-Term Effects

  • Loss of Digital Archive: The automatic deletion of live videos could result in a significant loss of digital content that might otherwise serve as a historical record or evidence for future research.
  • Impact on Journalism: Journalists relying on social media for documentation may face challenges in preserving critical information, potentially affecting transparency and accountability.

This policy underscores the broader debate around data permanence, user responsibility, and the role of platforms in shaping digital history.