In a significant move to enhance the quality of content shared on its platform, Meta has announced new measures aimed at reducing the prevalence of unoriginal content on Facebook. This initiative comes in response to growing concerns about accounts that repeatedly share others’ text, images, or videos without adding any unique value. The company has already taken action against millions of accounts that impersonate popular content creators, highlighting its commitment to maintaining a vibrant and authentic community.
As part of this crackdown, Meta has identified and removed approximately 10 million profiles that were found to be impersonating established creators. Additionally, the company has targeted around 500,000 accounts involved in spammy practices or fake engagement. These measures include demoting the visibility of such accounts’ comments and limiting the reach of their content, effectively curbing their ability to monetize their posts.
This announcement follows closely on the heels of YouTube’s recent clarification regarding its policies on unoriginal content, particularly concerning mass-produced and repetitive videos. The rise of AI technology has made it easier for users to generate low-quality content, prompting both platforms to take a stand against this trend.
Meta has clarified that it will not penalize users who engage with others’ content in a meaningful way, such as creating reaction videos or participating in trends. The focus is primarily on accounts that simply repost others’ work, particularly those that masquerade as the original creators.
Accounts that repeatedly violate these guidelines by reusing content without permission will face restrictions on their access to Facebook’s monetization programs and will see a decrease in the distribution of their posts. Furthermore, when duplicate videos are detected, the platform will prioritize the original creator’s content, ensuring they receive the appropriate views and recognition.
To further support original creators, Meta is testing a feature that will link viewers to the original content when duplicate videos are identified. This initiative aims to foster a culture of respect for creators’ rights and encourage users to produce authentic content.
As Meta navigates criticism regarding its enforcement practices, particularly on platforms like Instagram, users have voiced concerns about the automated systems that sometimes lead to wrongful account bans. A petition with thousands of signatures has emerged, urging Meta to address these issues and improve customer support for affected users, many of whom are small business owners.
While the focus of Meta’s new policy is on preventing content theft for profit, the broader issue of unoriginal content continues to grow. The influx of AI-generated media, often referred to as ‘AI slop,’ has raised questions about the quality of content available on social media platforms. Users can easily find videos that feature AI-generated voiceovers paired with repurposed images or clips, leading to a saturation of low-quality content.
Meta’s guidelines suggest that creators should strive for originality and authenticity in their storytelling, rather than merely stitching together clips or adding watermarks to existing content. The company emphasizes the importance of high-quality video captions and discourages the use of automated captions that lack proper editing.
These changes will be implemented gradually, allowing creators ample time to adapt to the new standards. Those concerned about their content’s visibility can access new insights through Facebook’s Professional Dashboard to understand the reasons behind any distribution issues.
Meta also provides tools for creators to monitor their risk of facing penalties related to content recommendations or monetization, ensuring transparency in the enforcement of these new policies. The company regularly updates its community on content takedowns through quarterly reports, revealing that a significant percentage of accounts on Facebook are fake.
In a shift towards community-driven content moderation, Meta has recently moved away from direct fact-checking, opting instead for a system that allows users to assess the accuracy of posts. This approach aims to empower the community while maintaining adherence to Meta’s standards.