Meta releases a new tool to protect reels creators from having their work stolen

Facebook creators are getting a new tool to help them protect their work from being ripped off by others. On Monday, Meta introduced Facebook content protection, a mobile tool designed to detect when a creator’s original reels posted to Facebook are being used without their permission.

If the creator is alerted that someone else is using their reels, they’ll also have the ability to block the reel’s visibility across both Facebook and Instagram or track the reel’s performance and optionally add attribution links to their work.

Or they can opt to release their claim on the reel, allowing it to remain visible on Meta’s platforms.

Meta says the addition of the content protection feature is part of its work to help original creators succeed on Facebook, without being drowned out by copycats. As part of this initiative, Meta said in July it had taken down around 10 million profiles that were impersonating large content creators, and had taken action against 500,000 accounts engaged in spammy behavior or fake engagement.

Although the new system also works to protect original content that’s posted on Instagram, it requires that creators post their reels to Facebook to have them tracked. This also works if the creator is using the cross-posting option from Instagram to “Share to Facebook.”

The move could encourage more creators to share their work on Facebook as a result.

The new content protection system is automatically being provided to Facebook creators in its Facebook Content Monetization program who also meet enhanced integrity and originality standards, the company says. In addition, access to the new program is rolling out to creators who use Rights Manager. 

Creators can see if they’re eligible by looking for notifications in their Feed, Professional Dashboard, and profile, or they can check to see if they have access to the tool from their Professional Dashboard, under “Content Protection.” They can also apply for access on Facebook’s website.

To work, the tool uses the same matching technology as is currently used by Meta’s Rights Manager for copyright holders. It will also show the percentage match for each match it surfaces, as well as other details, like views, follower count, and monetization status.

The company says it’s giving creators control over if and how the system flags matches. For instance, if the creator has given permission to another account to use their content, they can add them to an “allow list” so those duplicate reels aren’t automatically flagged.

Creators can also release their claim on a video on a one-off basis, or, if they choose to track the performance of a reel on another creator’s account, they can opt to add attribution links. These links will add an “original” label to the reel that links back to the creator’s profile, page, or, in some cases, the original reel itself.

Meta tells us it’s currently running tests for linking back to the original reel, but linking to the page or profile is the default.

If they block the reel, its distribution is impacted, but the account that stole the reel doesn’t receive any disciplinary action. This could be because Meta doesn’t want the system abused to target specific accounts. In addition, it says that if creators abuse the system, creators submitting false reports could see restrictions against their own accounts or they could lose access to the tool.

Tracking reels is the default setting, Facebook notes.

Creators will also be able to dispute instances where another account tries to protect a piece of the creator’s original work. To do so, creators can submit a copyright takedown request through the IP reporting channel. (They can also submit a report if they find a match that the tool didn’t surface, via a “Can’t find a specific match?” option on the content protection overview screen.)

For the time being, the new tool is mobile-only, but Meta tells TechCrunch it’s testing adding it to the Professional Dashboard on the desktop.