On Tuesday, Facebook revealed that live videos will only be retained on the platform for a period of 30 days, after which they will be permanently deleted. Previously, these videos were kept indefinitely. This new policy will take effect on Wednesday.
As a result of this policy change, all live videos older than 30 days will be removed from the platform. Before the deletion occurs, users will receive a notification and will have 90 days to decide what to do with their archived live content. They can opt to download the videos to their devices, transfer them to their cloud storage, or repurpose the content into a new reel.
In a recent blog post, Facebook explained that “these changes will align our storage policies with industry standards and help ensure we are providing the most up-to-date live video experiences for everyone on Facebook.” However, no additional details were provided. (TechCrunch attempted to obtain further insights but has not yet received a response.)
In contrast, Twitch, a major competitor to Facebook Live, retains past broadcasts for 60 days for Partners, Affiliates, and Prime streamers, while regular streamers have access to their videos for 14 days. Meanwhile, YouTube allows indefinite storage of live broadcasts by automatically converting them into standard videos, unless users opt-out of this archiving feature.
Facebook indicates that users requiring additional time to download their previous live videos can postpone deletion for up to six months. If no action is taken after this period, the old live videos will be permanently removed and will no longer be accessible.
The social media platform is also introducing new download features designed to assist users in preserving their archived live videos.
Users will have the option to bulk download their old live videos by selecting the “Download live videos” feature included in the notification regarding the impending deletion. Alternatively, they can click on the “Transfer live videos” option to link their cloud storage service, such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
Additionally, Facebook is leveraging this change as an opportunity to promote its reel feature, allowing users to transform memorable moments from their live streams into reels for permanent retention on their profiles.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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