Which of the following is a characteristic of lossy compression?

Lossy compression is a method that reduces file size by removing some data from the original file. This process can lead to a decrease in quality, especially if the compression is high. The primary characteristic of lossy compression is that it sacrifices some level of quality for a smaller file size, making it particularly useful for applications where file storage and bandwidth are considerations, such as streaming media.

This method is commonly used in audio and video files, where a certain degree of quality reduction is often acceptable to achieve more manageable file sizes. Although it is true that lossy compression is widely used for audio files, this aspect is not as fundamental to the definition of lossy compression as the impact on quality is. Other types of compression, such as lossless compression, do not reduce quality but maintain all original data, which contrasts with the nature of lossy compression. Therefore, the characteristic of affecting the quality of the file is a defining feature of lossy compression.