Instagram cracks down on content aggregators

Instagram announced on 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 across the app.

The Meta-owned platform says the idea behind the change is to ensure creators of original content get the credit and distribution they deserve. It’s worth noting that these protections were already in place for reels, and are now being applied to photos and carousels, which are the posts that feature a collection of images and videos in a swipeable format.

The update targets content aggregators that don’t post original content and instead simply re-upload others’ posts. By limiting the reach of these accounts, Instagram is looking to boost originality on its app while also working to prevent the same posts from being circulated over and over again.

Instagram classifies original content as content someone wholly created or reflects their unique perspective, such as photos or videos they took, or content they designed. Additionally, Instagram sees content that someone materially edited as original content. For instance, using existing third-party content, such as meme templates or popular clips, is fine as long as users edit it by adding a element that enhances the content, the company says.

“For example, an original meme transforms another creator’s photo or video,” Instagram explained in a blog post. “When meme creators add humor, social commentary, cultural references, or a relatable take by incorporating elements such as unique text, creative edits, and voiceover on a photo or video, they’re producing something original. The best meme creators take third-party content and make it unmistakably theirs by layering in a perspective, joke, or context that wasn’t there before. This is the kind of creativity we want to continue rewarding.”

Instagram says low-effort edits, such as adding watermarks or changing the speed of a video, don’t count. Additionally, uploading a screenshot of another person’s post with their username visible for credit doesn’t qualify.

It’s worth noting that this change won’t affect how Instagram shows people content from aggregator accounts they follow. It will instead no longer show this content in recommendations across the app, including users’ feeds and the “Discover” tab.