Facebook deletes live videos: Journalists concerned
Live videos created on Facebook have been disappearing after 30 days since February 19. Only the respective uploader can save the time documents.
Poster of a climate test
(Image: Liv Oeian/Shutterstock.com)
Since February 19, Facebook no longer stores live videos permanently. This worries journalists, civil rights activists and others who are concerned about documenting contemporary history. Facebook operator Meta Platforms automatically deletes new live videos after 30 days.
Since then, users have gradually been informed that the saving measure is taking effect on their account. With this notification, a 90-day period began, after which Meta will remove all older live videos. Users can postpone this deletion once for six months, after which these moving images will also disappear, Facebook emphasizes. The only exceptions are still existing live videos in profiles of deceased Facebook users whose profiles have been memorialized.
Videos by heise
Many live videos on Facebook may be of modest interest to posterity, but they also include important documents of contemporary history. Radio Free Asia reports on an appeal by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA), which is asking all media makers in the city to save their live videos. The journalists are particularly interested in documenting the civil protests of 2019 and 2020.
The recordings to be secured also include live reports from the state broadcaster RTHK, which it would no longer be able to broadcast today. RTHK is now under the control of the central government in Beijing. Once the videos have disappeared, those in power could spread their version of the story unhindered, the journalists' association emphasizes.
How to download
Unfortunately, Facebook users cannot save third-party videos. Only the original streamer or someone who has unlimited control over the respective Facebook account can download the recordings or transfer them to their cloud storage.
There are several ways to do this. Facebook allows you to download all live videos from a profile as a complete file. Alternatively, you can browse and download individual videos via the profile, your page, or the Meta Business Suite. There is also the option to set a date range in the activity log to display any available videos.
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