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Fact check: Is facebook deleting your photos in June?
1. Summary of the results
The claim about Facebook deleting photos in June 2025 is false [1]. However, there are some important policy changes happening:
- Facebook is implementing new rules for live stream videos, which will be automatically deleted after 30 days for new content [2]
- Existing live streams will have a 90-day window for users to download their content [2]
- Regular photos are not being arbitrarily deleted, and Facebook's Terms of Service regarding photos remain unchanged [1]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual points need to be considered:
- Facebook does have legitimate reasons to delete certain content:
- Violations of terms of service
- Server maintenance
- Unsupported file formats
- Files over 15 MB [3]
- Users have multiple options to preserve their live stream content:
- Individual or bulk downloads
- Transfer to cloud storage (Dropbox/Google Drive)
- Request a 6-month deletion postponement [4]
- Recent photo deletion issues may be related to app updates on Android and iOS, rather than policy changes [5]
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The viral nature of this misinformation benefits several parties:
- Third-party backup services and cloud storage providers benefit from user panic about potential data loss, as Facebook explicitly mentions Dropbox and Google Drive as backup options [4]
- The confusion may stem from Facebook's legitimate business decision regarding live streams, which they justify based on viewing patterns and storage costs [2]
- The spread of such misinformation often occurs through "copypasta" posts that misrepresent Facebook's actual policies [1]
Users should be aware that while Facebook maintains a license to use their content, this doesn't equate to arbitrary deletion of photos [1]. If users experience photo deletion issues, they can recover content through:
- Facebook's archive feature
- The Memories feature
- Third-party recovery apps [5]