The news: Meta added content theft protections to Facebook Reels, giving creators more control over their work. The offering is automatically available to qualifying creators in Facebook’s Content Monetization program.
- Users that enroll with the content protection program will get notifications when content that’s similar to or identical to theirs is posted on Facebook or Instagram.
- They can view details such as the video’s performance and the posting account’s follower count and take action directly within the app.
It uses the same matching technology as its Brands Rights Manager to find potential matches to Reels, Meta stated in a blog post, but it’s designed specifically with creators in mind.
Why it matters: Misappropriated or reposted content can steal views, distort engagement metrics, and create confusion about which accounts are driving real performance. With these new protections, creators and partners can track where similar content appears, better protect branded assets, and maintain ownership over engagement data.
Meta has been cracking down on aggregator and repost accounts for some time and removed many from Instagram recommendations last year. By limiting aggregated or reposted accounts, Meta is decreasing noise from duplicate videos and encouraging more authentic, relevant content surfacing in feeds.
Zooming out: Brands increasingly depend on creators for short-form videos—we expect influencer marketing spending on Meta platforms to reach $4.93 billion in 2026, up from $4.37 in 2025.
Content theft undermines creator incentives and skews performance metrics. Better protections can prompt creators to produce more original content, making partnerships more predictable and trustworthy for marketers.
What brands should do: Encourage partnering creators to enroll in the program to safeguard content. The offering could lower the risk of inadvertently using stolen content, making compliance easier and ensuring creators have full rights to the assets that brands invest in and amplify.