When Online Content Disappears

A Pew Research Center analysis reveals the impermanence of online content. Between 2013 and 2023, 25% of webpages vanished, with 38% from 2013 now inaccessible. Government and news websites frequently contain broken links, affecting 21% and 23% of pages, respectively. Wikipedia has 54% of pages with at least one dead reference link. On social media, nearly 20% of tweets disappear within months, often due to account changes or deletions. The study underscores the widespread and varied nature of “digital decay,” impacting diverse online platforms and content types. The methodology is explained.