Here we go again: Another major social media platform is rewriting the rules — and to your disadvantage.
Facebook has announced that Live videos will now automatically be deleted after 30 days, a radical shift from its previous practice of leaving these streams up forever. If you don’t download your older videos prior to May 24, they’ll be lost forever. Meta is offering tools to make it easier to download, but the bigger message is clear: you can’t rely on social sites to save your content.
Meta announced, “We’re rolling out new tools to simplify downloading your past live videos.”
But the truth behind this shift is more nefarious: Big tech isn’t for you — it’s for itself.
The Problem With Platform Dependence
In time, it’s become clear that relying on social networks to host your content in the long term is unsafe. Whether it’s erratic algorithm updates, declining organic reach rates, or straight-up shutdowns, these networks have their own agendas in mind — not yours.
The new Facebook Live policy will particularly be a blow to communities and organizations that have used the platform for documentation and public engagement.
A Real-World Example: Local Governments
Local governments prefer to stream city council meetings and other public meetings using Facebook Live. The videos don’t just serve as a tool to enhance civic transparency but also help in fulfilling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
With Facebook now deleting videos after 30 days, municipalities are desperately downloading years’ worth of video caches and looking for new hosting — all of which cost time and taxpaying dollars.
This Isn’t the First Time
Facebook’s move isn’t the first. In fact, history has shown this is the rule and not the exception when social platforms are involved:
- Vine: Once home to over 200 million users, it was shut down by Twitter in 2017, erasing years’ worth of user content in a matter of seconds.
- Google Plus: Launched in 2011 and shut down in 2019, G+ vanished along with the business pages, communities, and posts people had spent years building.
- X (formerly Twitter): Under the ownership of Elon Musk, the platform now appears to censor material that is not of his interest. According to a New York Times investigation, users who publicly denounced Musk saw their reach drop precipitously.
If you began your brand or business on these sites, it’s likely you lost not just content, but a great deal of audience — often without warning.
Own Your Platform, Own Your Future
Social media is an excellent visibility tool — but not a perpetual sanctuary for content.
If you’re serious about a sustainable online presence, you must have something on the web that you control — a website, blog, or online refuge. Having your own hosting for content means unexpected policy shifts or shut-downs won’t wreck your work or kick you off your audience.
Use social media to amplify your voice — but not as the exclusive source.
What You Need to Do Now
- Preserve your Facebook Live videos before May 24 to keep your content.
- Invest in your own domain and site where you can keep important media.
- Back up your content on a regular basis, especially anything that is hosted on sites you don’t control.
- Plan for portability — your content, audience, and brand must be portable with you.
Final Thought
This is just another reminder that there are always underlying expenses when it comes to free platforms. When the rules change — and they always do — the people who don’t own their platforms are the ones who get hurt.
Build on solid ground. Own your digital future, not just rent it.
