In a recent exchange on Threads, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri confirmed that the platform downgrades the video quality of older content in certain scenarios. “If something isn’t watched for a long time, because the vast majority of views are in the beginning, we will move to a lower quality video,” Mosseri explained.
You’d be surprised.
I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who use their Instagram or Facebook as basically the history of their social lives, where all their memories are, the local copies long gone.
It’s a terrible idea, but I’m certain people are doing it.