Creators on Facebook and Instagram have long been concerned about accounts that lift their videos without permission. Now, Meta is rolling out a new tool that allows creators to more easily track whether their videos have been reposted by others.
The company has introduced a new tool for creators called “Content Protection” that can automatically detect when a creator’s original Reel has been reposted in whole or in part on Facebook or Instagram. Named creators will be able to see which accounts have shared their work and be able to take a variety of actions on clips.
Available actions include “Track”, which allows the creator to add a label indicating that the clip originally came from their account. Apart from the link back, creators will also be able to keep an eye on the number of views it gets. Creators can also choose to block a clip completely, so no one else will be able to view the Reel. (Meta notes choosing this option will not result in additional penalties being imposed on accounts that remove original content.) Finally, creators can choose to “release” the video, which removes it from their dashboard so they no longer have visibility into how it’s performing.
The dashboard tracks instances of reused content, (Meta)
The dashboard also provides some other details that can help creators decide how to respond. For example, they can see whether videos that use their content are being monetized, which may influence their decision to track with attribution or block them altogether. On the other hand, if an account with few followers has had the Reel removed, they may choose to simply keep an eye on it.
Meta already offers some of these capabilities to Facebook creators through its Rights Manager platform, but the company says making the features available directly in the Facebook app will make it accessible to more people. Notably, the company is only providing content protection to creators who share Reels on Facebook. So even though the feature will detect copycats on Instagram, it will only do so if the original video was posted on Facebook.
Meta says content protection is now being rolled out in its monetization program for creators who “meet enhanced integrity and originality standards” as well as those who are already using Rights Manager. Creators can also apply for direct access.