Meta’s looking to help creators maintain control of their work, with a new “Content Protection” feature on Facebook, which will scan the platform for re-use of your original Reels, and alert you to unauthorised use.
As you can see in this example, with Content Protection, creators will be alerted whenever someone shares a Reel that bears similar traits to their original upload.
As explained by Facebook:
“Once you enroll in content protection, every original reel that you post to Facebook will get automatically protected. Behind the scenes, content protection continuously scans Facebook and Instagram for matches to your protected Facebook reels, whether they're full or partial matches to your original work.”
So now, if someone re-posts your content, you’ll be able to get credit, or block their re-use, quickly and easily via your Professional Dashboard.
Meta says that the system uses the same matching process as Meta’s Rights Manager tool to detect replicants, while creators will also be able to protect previously uploaded Reels as well, by manually selecting them in the dashboard.
And once a match is found, you’ll be alerted in the app.
With every content match that Facebook’s system detects, you’ll have the option to:
- Track - Keep the matching reel visible to other users, while staying informed about its performance; this is your default setting. You can always revisit and take a different action at any time. You can also add attribution links to select eligible tracked matches on Facebook, which puts an “original by” label on the reel that links back to your Page or Profile.
- Block - Make the matching reel not visible on Facebook or Instagram. While this will reduce the reel’s distribution on our platforms, it won't directly result in any disciplinary action against the other account.
- Release - Release your claim, and allow the reel to stay visible on our platforms. This will remove this matching post from your match dashboard entirely, meaning you can no longer see its performance.
So you should now be able to detect and manage any potential misuse.
Though given that even partial matches will be highlighted here, that could also lead to some content being blocked, even if it’s not a direct copy of someone else’s work, right?
Meta does have provisos for this, noting that:
“Misusing content protection by repeatedly trying to claim and take action on reels you don't own can result in restrictions or losing access.”
Meta also notes that some content is not eligible for protection, including reaction videos or compilations.
So there are some limitations on how such claims can be made, but it seems like a positive step overall, which Meta’s hoping will ensure creators get more credit for their original work, as opposed to losing value to re-posters and aggregator accounts.
Which Meta’s been working to counter for some time. Last year, Instagram announced that it would be removing aggregator accounts from recommendations, and replacing re-posts with original content, when detected.
This expanded content matching process is an extension of this, giving creators more capacity to build their presence in the app, and not lose out to re-posters.
Though a new trend emerging has been to replicate popular clips using AI, and if that could become a bigger shift as a result. I doubt Meta’s replication detectors will pick up these kinds of copycats, but then again, maybe Meta has built in processes that will be able to match up audio transcripts as well, which could be another element of this process.
Either way, it seems like a positive step for creators, who Meta really wants to get onside, while creators will also be able to grant permission for specific re-uses, via an allow list in the app.
It could be a positive step, and it’ll be interesting to see what the impacts are for aggregator accounts as a result.
