Instagram is cracking down on content aggregators

Instagram announced Thursday that accounts that regularly repost content they didn’t create, or primarily share other people’s work as photos and carousels, will no longer be eligible for recommendations through the app.

The Meta-owned platform says the idea behind the change is to ensure original content creators get the credit and distribution they deserve. It should be noted that this protection was already applied to reels, and is now applied to images and carousels, which are posts that contain a collection of images and videos in a swipeable format.

The update targets content aggregators who don’t post original content and instead simply re-upload other people’s posts. By limiting the reach of these accounts, Instagram is looking to enhance authenticity in its app while also working to prevent the same posts from being shared over and over again.

Instagram classifies original content as content that was entirely created by someone or reflects their unique perspective, such as photos or videos they took, or content they created. Additionally, Instagram sees content that someone has physically edited as original. For example, using existing third-party content, such as meme templates or trending clips, is fine as long as users edit it by adding an element that enhances the content, the company says.

“For example, an original meme transforms an image or video of another creator,” Instagram explained in a blog post. “When meme creators add humor, social commentary, cultural references, or relevant takes by incorporating elements like unique text, creative edits, and voiceover to an image or video, they produce something original. The best meme creators take third-party content and make it unmistakably their own by putting it in a perspective, joke, or context that didn’t exist before. This is the kind of creativity we want to continue to reward.”

Instagram says that edits that require minor effort, such as adding watermarks or changing the speed of a video, do not count. Additionally, uploading a screenshot of someone else’s post with their username visible for credit is not eligible.

It’s worth noting that this change will not affect how Instagram shows people content from the grouped accounts they follow. Instead, this content will not appear in recommendations across the app, including users’ feeds and the Discover tab.