Facebook is rolling out a new feature aimed at helping creators safeguard their original content from unauthorized use. On Monday, Meta unveiled Facebook content protection, a mobile solution that identifies when someone else shares a creator’s original reels on Facebook without approval.
When creators are notified that their reels have been used by others, they can choose to hide the reel across both Facebook and Instagram, monitor its performance, or add attribution links to ensure proper credit is given.
Alternatively, creators can decide to withdraw their claim, which will keep the reel visible on Meta’s platforms.
According to Meta, this content protection tool is part of its broader efforts to support original creators on Facebook and prevent their work from being overshadowed by imitators. As part of this strategy, Meta reported in July that it had removed about 10 million accounts impersonating prominent creators and taken action against 500,000 accounts involved in spam or fake engagement.
Image Credits:Meta
While the new system also helps protect original content on Instagram, creators must post their reels to Facebook for tracking. This also applies if they use Instagram’s cross-posting feature to share reels to Facebook.
This update may motivate more creators to publish their content on Facebook.
Meta states that the content protection system is being automatically made available to creators in the Facebook Content Monetization program who also meet higher standards for integrity and originality. Additionally, creators using Rights Manager are gradually gaining access to the new feature.
Image Credits:Meta
Creators can check their eligibility by looking for notifications in their Feed, Professional Dashboard, or profile, or by checking the “Content Protection” section in their Professional Dashboard. They can also apply for access through Facebook’s website.
The tool relies on the same matching technology used by Meta’s Rights Manager for copyright owners. It displays the percentage of similarity for each match it finds, along with other information such as view counts, follower numbers, and monetization details.
Meta says creators have the option to decide how and when the system flags matches. For example, if a creator has authorized another account to use their content, they can add that account to an “allow list” so those reels aren’t flagged as duplicates.
Image Credits:Meta
Creators can also choose to release their claim on a specific video, or if they want to monitor a reel’s performance on another creator’s account, they can add attribution links. These links will display an “original” tag on the reel that directs viewers to the creator’s profile, page, or sometimes the original reel itself.
Meta says it is currently testing the option to link directly to the original reel, but by default, links will point to the creator’s page or profile.
If a creator blocks a reel, its reach will be limited, but the account that reposted it won’t face penalties. This may be to prevent misuse of the system against specific users. Meta also warns that creators who misuse the tool by submitting false claims could face restrictions or lose access to the feature.
By default, Facebook enables tracking for reels.
Creators will also have the opportunity to challenge cases where another user tries to claim protection over their original content. To do this, they can file a copyright takedown request through the IP reporting channel. There’s also an option to report matches not detected by the tool via the “Can’t find a specific match?” feature on the content protection overview page.
Currently, this tool is only available on mobile, but Meta told TechCrunch it is experimenting with adding it to the Professional Dashboard on desktop.
