Meta Introduces Stringent Measures Against Unoriginal, Improperly Reused Facebook Content

Facebook will soon crack down on "unoriginal content" shared by users, according to Meta. The platform's announcement comes days after YouTube announced similar changes to its policies that will lead to action against mass-produced and inauthentic content. The Meta-owned social networking service will lower the reach of accounts that improperly reuse content and restrict their access to monetisation programs on Facebook. The platform also says it will allow original videos to gain improved visibility by lowering distribution of duplicate copies.

Meta to Combat Repeated Reposting Without Permission or 'Meaningful Enhancements'

In a post on Monday, Facebook parent Meta announced that it will take action against unoriginal content that is reshared or created using content made by another creator without providing any attribution or credit. It will cover images, videos, and text posts by users on the social networking platform, and users who improperly reuse these forms of content "repeatedly" will be temporarily prevented from accessing Facebook monetisation features. 

In addition to the monetary disincentives for repeated reposting of original content from other creators, Meta will also limit the reach of all posts published by these accounts. This could allow the creator's content to show up in users' feeds instead of the duplicated versions.

Posts without attribution to the original content might also display a link added by Meta, but this functionality is currently being tested by the firm. An image of the feature indicates a text link, which also names the original creator's account, will appear under the caption and above the comment box, which is located at the bottom of the screen.

In order to allow creators to adapt to these new changes, the company will enforce these new rules "gradually over the coming months", and the Professional Dashboard feature now allows creators to see multiple reasons why a particular post's reach might be limited.

Earlier this month, YouTube announced that it would take action against repetitive and mass-produced videos shared on the platform. On YouTube, content that is borrowed from other users must be significantly changed. Creators will also need to refrain from posting low-effort, clickbait videos, and other template based content that popularised by AI tools.