Facebook Moves to Reward Original Creators, Crack Down on Copycats

Over the past year, Meta has made Facebook Feed and Reels more relevant by cracking down on spammy content and making it harder for copycats and impersonators to crowd out authentic creator voices. Today, Meta is sharing its progress and highlighting how creators who post original content are being rewarded on Facebook.

Facebook has updated its content guidelines to clarify what it means to be “original”, and it has started to roll out new tools to help creators report potential impersonators and protect their work — giving them more control over their content, helping them grow their following, and improving the Facebook experience for everyone.

More Views, Higher Payouts, and Fewer Copycats

Facebook is committed to prioritizing original content in Facebook Feed and Reels, while reducing the reach of unoriginal content. These efforts have driven measurable impact: both views and time spent watching original Reels on Facebook approximately doubled in the second half of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024. As it invests in expanding distribution for original content across Feed and Reels, payout opportunities for original creators on Facebook continue to grow.

Facebook is also tackling impersonation head-on. In 2025, it removed more than 20 million accounts impersonating large content creators and impersonation reports related to large content creators dropped by 33%.

Clearer Guidelines for Original Content

Facebook has updated its  content guidelines to more clearly define what kind of content is classified as original, encourage high-quality content production, and improve what is shown in recommendations. Here’s what this means in practice:

• Content filmed or produced directly by a creator or owner of a Profile or Page is considered original content on Facebook.
• Reels selectively incorporating third-party content (such as remixes or overlays) are considered original when the focus is an 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 — is considered unoriginal and will likely be deprioritized in Feed and Reels.
• Content that is duplicative or involves minor edits to another creator’s post will be considered unoriginal and deprioritized. This includes re-uploading posts the Page or Profile had no role in creating, or making low-value changes to someone else’s content like adding borders, inserting captions, and changing the reel’s speed, among the behaviors detailed above and in our help center.

When creators transform content with creativity, their videos will be eligible for recommendation in Reels and Feed, and may benefit from increased distribution. Creators who are not adding substantial creative value will see their content deprioritized, and they may see their account deemed non-recommendable and demonetized, if they continue to post primarily unoriginal content.

Creators always have the option to appeal decisions regarding originality, and Facebook is continually working to improve the accuracy of its enforcement. Creators can learn more about the appeals process here.

New Tools to Report Impersonation

Facebook is not just supporting original content on Facebook, it is also building new tools to help creators protect their content and grow.

Facebook launched content protection last year to automatically safeguard creators’ original Facebook reels and let them take action when matches to their reels are detected across the platforms. It is now testing enhancements to this tool that will also detect potential impersonation and make it easy for creators to submit reports, all in one place. This new capability will be rolling out to more creators using content protection soon.

Creators can check for access to the content protection tool in their professional dashboard or apply for access here.

Commitment to Creators

Meta is committed to making Facebook a place where creativity is celebrated and rewarded. With clearer original content guidelines and stronger tools to protect creators’ work, it’s easier than ever for authentic voices to stand out.