Which of the following types of compression refers to the loss of data when an approximation of the original image is reconstructed?

Lossy compression refers to a method of data compression that significantly reduces file size by removing some of the original data. This technique is used primarily for images, audio, and video where the loss of certain information is not typically perceivable to the user. When the original image is reconstructed after compression, it may resemble the original but will lack some details and quality. This is especially common in formats such as JPEG for images and MP3 for audio, where perceptual coding takes advantage of the human sensory system's limitations to deliver a smaller file while maintaining acceptable quality for most uses.

The other options describe different kinds of compression methods. Lossless compression retains all the original data, allowing for perfect reconstruction of the original file. Bitrate compression typically refers to adjusting the amount of data processed per second in audio and video streams, and visual compression isn't a standard term used in the context of data compression, making them less relevant to this specific question about data loss during reconstruction.