Meta has rolled out a new tool aimed at protecting Facebook Reels creators from having their work copied without permission.
The new feature, called Facebook content protection, is designed to automatically detect stolen reels and give creators more control over their original work.
Meta’s new system to safeguard reels
Meta announced on Monday that Facebook creators will now receive alerts whenever their original Reels are uploaded by someone else without authorization. The tool is part of Meta’s broader push to help genuine creators stand out amid rising content theft.
How the tool works
Creators will be notified when their Reels are matched elsewhere on Facebook or Instagram. From there, they can:
Block the reel’s visibility across both platforms
Track the video’s performance
Add attribution links
Or release their claim and allow the reel to stay visible
Meta says the system is built on the same matching technology used in Rights Manager, which already tracks copyrighted content.
The announcement follows Meta’s earlier crackdown against impersonation and duplicate content.
In July, Meta removed:
10 million impersonating profiles, and
Took action against 500,000 spam or fake-engagement accounts
The company says the goal is to ensure original creators are not overshadowed by copycats.
While the tool protects content on both Facebook and Instagram, creators must upload or cross-post their reels to Facebook for tracking to work.
This move may encourage more creators to publish directly on Facebook to benefit from the protection system.
Who gets access?
Meta says the feature is automatically being provided to:
Creators in the Facebook Content Monetization program
Creators meeting its enhanced integrity and originality standards
Access is also expanding to those using Rights Manager.
Creators can check eligibility through:
Feed notifications
Their Professional Dashboard
Their profile
Or they can apply for access on Facebook’s website.
Technology behind the tool
The system shows:
The percentage match between videos
Views
Follower count
Monetization status
Creators can customize how the system flags matches. If they’ve already granted permission to someone, they can add that account to an “allow list” so the content isn’t flagged.
Options for creators
Creators can:
Release a claim on a one-off basis
Add attribution links to label a video as “original”
Track performance on another account
Meta is currently testing an option to link directly to the original reel, though linking to the creator’s profile or page remains the default.
Blocking vs. disciplinary actions
If a creator blocks a matched reel, its distribution is reduced. However:
The account uploading the stolen reel does not face disciplinary action
Meta says this design prevents abuse of the system.
Creators who misuse the tool or submit false reports may face account restrictions or lose access to the feature entirely.
Tracking Reels is the default setting.
If another user tries to protect a reel that isn’t theirs, creators can file a copyright takedown request through Meta’s IP reporting channel.
They can also report a missed match through the “Can’t find a specific match?” option in the content protection dashboard.
The new content protection tool is currently available only on mobile. Meta told TechCrunch it is testing a desktop version within the Professional Dashboard.
