Instagram cracks down on content aggregators

Instagram announced Thursday that accounts that regularly repost content they didn’t create or primarily share other people’s work like 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 original content creators 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 contain a collection of images and videos in a swipeable format.

The update targets content aggregators who do not post original content and instead simply re-upload other people’s posts. By limiting the reach of these accounts, Instagram seeks to increase the originality of its app while working to prevent the same posts from being circulated over and over again.

Instagram classifies original content as content that someone has created or reflects their unique perspective, such as photos or videos they’ve taken or content they’ve designed. In addition, Instagram considers content that someone has materially edited as original content. For example, it’s fine to use existing third-party content, such as meme templates or popular clips, as long as users edit it by adding an 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 shot by incorporating elements such as unique text, creative edits, and voiceover to an image 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 before it was the kind we want to continue.”

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 is not eligible.

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