Facebook has announced that it will start deleting users' live broadcast recordings after 30 days, starting from February 19th. This change in policy means that users who go live after that date must download their videos to save them from being deleted before their 30-day expiration period ends.

The social media giant claims that the decision is based on the fact that "most live video views occur within the first few weeks of broadcasting" and aims to "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." This move is likely to affect a large number of users who have accumulated a significant amount of live stream content over the years.

In addition to the 30-day deletion policy for new live streams, Facebook will also remove all previously recorded live videos that are older than 30 days. However, users will receive email and app notifications before their archive is completely deleted, giving them 90 days to download or transfer the videos. The deletion process will occur in waves over the coming months.

To help users save their videos, Facebook is providing several download tools. Users can request a bulk download of all their videos within a custom date range, or choose to transfer the videos directly to a cloud service like Dropbox or Google Drive. Alternatively, users can save individual videos by going to their Activity Log, filtering for "Your live videos," and then selecting the dates to see the videos they can download.

For users who may not have the time or resources to download their videos immediately, Facebook is offering a postpone request option, giving them six months to save their videos. This option can be accessed by opening the notification, tapping "learn more," and then selecting "postpone."

This move by Facebook raises questions about the ownership and control of user-generated content on social media platforms. While the company's decision may be driven by storage and industry standards, it highlights the importance of users being aware of the terms and conditions of the platforms they use and taking steps to preserve their digital content.

As Facebook continues to evolve and adapt to changing user behaviors and technological advancements, this move may have significant implications for content creators, influencers, and businesses that rely on the platform for live streaming and video content. It remains to be seen how users will respond to this change and what impact it will have on the social media landscape.