Meta provided more guidance to creators as to how it views original content, while it also announced more measures to penalize non-original posts and impersonator accounts in its app.
First, Meta has updated its content guidelines to provide more guidance on what it views as original content.
Meta has specifically added new explainers on how much editing or change is required to qualify a re-post as original, while it’s also clarified its rules around the presence of the account owner, and how that relates to original content presentation.
For example, Meta says that Reels which selectively incorporate third-party content (such as remixes or overlays) are considered original when the focus is the on-screen presence from a creator presenting something genuinely new — like fresh information, analysis, or substantial improvements to a storyline. “Simply watching along, reacting with facial expressions, stitching multiple clips together, or narrating what’s already on screen — without adding anything meaningful — will be classified as unoriginal and deprioritized in Feed and Reels.”
So no more of those cheap reaction videos from influencers who are looking to keep their upload cadence moving.
Which could be a challenge for some, because part of building an online presence is consistency, and posting regular updates to keep the audience engaged. Coming up with enough original ideas and concepts to meet those demands can be difficult, which is why creators refer to reaction clips and similar to maintain their output.
Without this as an option, that could prompt more creator burnout, or lead to fewer videos being posted to Meta’s apps.
Meta’s also testing improvements to its content protection tools, that will provide more ways for creators to detect re-posts and impersonation.
Meta’s enhanced content protection, which it added last November, alerts creators whenever someone shares a Reel that bears similar traits to their original upload.
And now, Meta’s adding to this, with an improved reporting flow for imposter content and accounts.
Meta’s updated content protection tools will now also alert creators to possible imposter accounts, which they can review within their Professional Dashboard, and submit reports direct in the app.
The updated detection and reporting flow could make it much easier for creators to protect their original content, and ensure that they continue to get the credit for their work.
The updates are part of Meta’s ongoing effort to boost the presence of original creators and their content.
Last July, Facebook announced an update focused on penalizing “unoriginal” content, while in 2024, Instagram removed aggregator accounts from its recommendations, and has since sought to replace re-posts with original content in the same where possible.
That, ideally, will see more original creators get the attention that they deserve, which could help to keep more of them sharing their content to Meta’s apps.
And Meta says that, thus far, its efforts are working. In the second half of 2025, both views and time spent watching original Reels on Facebook approximately doubled versus the same period in 2024, while the company also removed more than 20 million accounts impersonating large content creators over the last year.
Maintaining connection with original creators is key to social platform growth, especially as they become bigger source of entertainment, and as such, these efforts could be important steps in Meta’s broader strategy.
