Facebook creators have new tools to protect their work from plagiarism by others. On Monday, Meta introduced Facebook content protection. This is a mobile tool designed to detect when a creator's original Reel posted on Facebook is being used without permission.
If creators are alerted that others are using their Reels, they can also block their Reels from being displayed on both Facebook and Instagram, track their Reels' performance, and optionally add attribution links to their creations.
Alternatively, you can unclaim on the reels and keep them visible on the meta platform.
Meta says the addition of content protection features is part of its efforts to help original creators succeed on Facebook without being drowned out by imitators. As part of this effort, Meta announced in July that it had removed approximately 10 million profiles impersonating major content creators and had taken action against 500,000 accounts involved in spamming and false engagement.
The new system also has the ability to protect original content posted on Instagram, but creators will have to post their Reels to Facebook to be tracked. This also works if the author uses the “Share to Facebook” cross-posting option from Instagram.
This move could result in more creators sharing their work on Facebook.
The new content protection system will be automatically offered to Facebook creators in the Facebook Content Monetization Program who also meet enhanced integrity and originality standards, the company said. Additionally, access to the new program will also be extended to creators using Rights Manager.
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Creators can find out if they're eligible by looking for notifications in their feed, Professional Dashboard, or Profile, and if they can access tools under Content Protection in their Professional Dashboard. You can also request access through the Facebook website.
For this tool to work, it uses the same matching technology that Meta's Rights Manager currently uses for copyright owners. You'll also see match percentage for each match displayed, as well as details such as number of views, number of followers, and monetization status.
The company says it will give creators control over whether and how the system's flags are matched. For example, if the creator allows another account to use their content, you can add that account to your “allow list” to prevent duplicate Reels from being automatically flagged.
Creators can also remove claims on a video once. You can also add an attribution link if you choose to track your Reels' performance on another creator's account. These links add an “Original” label to the Reel that links to the creator's profile, page, or, in some cases, the original Reel itself.
According to Meta, they are currently testing to link to the original Reel, but linking to a page or profile is the default.
If they block a Reel, its distribution will be affected, but the account that stole the Reel will not be disciplined. This may be because Meta does not want its system to be exploited to target specific accounts. In addition, if creators abuse the system, creators who submit false reports may have their accounts subject to restrictions or may lose access to tools.
Tracking Reels is the default setting, Facebook notes.
Creators can also dispute when another account attempts to protect their original work. To that end, creators can submit copyright takedown requests through the IP reporting channel. (If you find a match that didn't appear in the tool, you can also submit a report using the Missing a specific match? option on the Content Protection Overview screen.)
For now, the new tool is mobile-only, but Meta told TechCrunch that the company is testing adding it to professional dashboards on desktop.