Observed Signal · Sep 22, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: UX Collective · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Digital decay: 25% of decade's web pages vanish
A recent analysis reveals that a quarter of web pages from the last decade have disappeared, with many vanishing from sites that are still active. This 'digital decay' is highlighted by the shutdown of design tool InVision in December 2024, which deleted all user-created prototypes and boards. The closure underscored a trend of SaaS tools shutting down and leaving users without a way to export their work in bulk, leading to the loss of portfolios and case studies. Miro, the whiteboard company, acquired InVision's Freehand product but not the associated user data. This has raised concerns about the lack of archiving mechanisms for digital content and the preservation of professional work. The article emphasizes that as more tools shut down, the web's content continues to erode, calling for better awareness and possibly new standards or services to archive and preserve online work.
Highlights the ongoing issue of data loss in SaaS tools, relevant to AdTech/martech infrastructure, but not a major platform policy update.
Track Miro Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your Polaris7 workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- A quarter of the past decade's web pages have vanished.
- InVision shut down on New Year's Eve 2024, deleting user prototypes.
- Miro acquired InVision's whiteboard product, Freehand, but not user data.
- Most disappearing pages are from sites still online.
- No bulk export was possible from InVision, causing loss of portfolios.
Connected Companies & Entities
1 Entity mapped“Miro, a whiteboard company, acquired InVision's Freehand product.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Flash vs HTML: Two‑Decade Web Transition
This reflective essay uses metaphors (dodos, a long‑lived dog, aloe plants, and harvester ants) to trace the rise and fall of Adobe Flash and the parallel ascent of HTML5 and the open web. It recounts Flash's dominance from the late 1990s, the W3C HTML5 draft in 2008, Steve Jobs' 2010 public rejection of Flash on iOS, Adobe's 2017 announcement to end Flash support, and the final retirement of Flash Player on December 31, 2020. The piece emphasizes how an open, community‑driven web ecosystem (libraries like Three.js, and technologies such as WebAssembly, WebGPU, WebXR, canvas and native <video>/<audio>) gradually replaced Flash's closed plugin model, enabling better mobile support, performance, and continued web innovation.
AI Fears Threaten Web History: Internet Archive Blocked
In an essay for The Atlantic, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle warns that publishers blocking the Wayback Machine over AI-scraping concerns could create gaps in the historical record without stopping AI companies from collecting data. A Pew Research study found that 25% of webpages tracked from 2013-2023 disappeared by October 2023. While the Internet Archive preserves many deleted pages, only 16% of vanished URLs are accessible. Media examples include Paramount removing MTV News content and Warner Bros. Discovery shutting down Cartoon Network's website. Both companies are now under Skydance after Paramount completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. Kahle argues blocking the archive won't stop AI scraping but will thin the historical record. Publishers like The New York Times and The Guardian have restricted Internet Archive access. The article highlights the importance of preservation for researchers and ordinary users.
Design History Reveals a Predictable Disruption Pattern
This analysis by Dora Czerna (UXDesign / Medium) argues that technological disruption in design follows a recurring arc: democratisation of access, an initial collapse in average quality and panic, then the emergence of new norms and migrated expertise. The article examines three historical examples—the printing press, the 1933 Bauhaus closure, and 1985 desktop publishing (Aldus PageMaker + Apple LaserWriter)—to illustrate how access shifts control and how skills re-bundle at higher levels of judgment. It positions current AI design tools within this pattern, advising adaptation, experimentation, and attention to which human judgments will remain valuable as baseline execution becomes cheaper.
Receive all future signals for Miro & competitors in your briefing
Never miss material M&A deals, leadership changes, account wins, or product rollouts. Polaris7 monitors 20,000+ primary sources 24/7, delivering verified telemetry directly into your executive briefing.