Facebook Cracks Down on Duplicate Content: 500,000 Spam Accounts Scrapped
In a significant shift for the social media giant, Meta has announced updated Facebook policies in 2025, aiming to promote originality and curb content freebooting across its platform.
Under the new rules, posting unoriginal content—defined as repeatedly reusing someone else’s videos, photos, or text posts without permission or meaningful enhancement—results in significant consequences.
Facebook’s revamped ranking algorithm now demotes duplicate videos and recycled text posts, prioritizing original creators instead. This move is part of a broader initiative to improve user experience, reduce spammy or recycled content flooding Facebook’s feeds, and support original creators.
Creators who repeatedly reuse another creator's content without crediting them will face reduced distribution and temporary suspension from monetization programs. This means that accounts that repeatedly repost unoriginal content risk losing access to Facebook monetization programs temporarily, meaning they cannot earn money through the platform during the penalty.
Meta has already taken action, dismantling approximately 10 million profiles impersonating established creators and disabling around 500,000 accounts engaged in spammy behavior or fake engagement in the first half of 2025.
However, Facebook allows resharing content with meaningful additions, such as commentary, reaction videos, or joining trends with unique takes. Content that simply duplicates others “word-for-word, frame-for-frame” without adding value will be penalized.
To avoid penalties, creators are advised not to use third-party watermarked content, to add meaningful enhancements if resharing, and to maintain high-quality captions free from unnecessary links. Facebook's Support home screen flags any monetization risk if a Page or profile is at risk of losing revenue access due to unoriginal postings.
Facebook's Professional Dashboard now provides post-level insights to reveal if a specific piece of content was penalized for originality issues. The company is also experimenting with attribution links on flagged duplicates, directing viewers to the source.
Meta's published best practices for creators emphasize producing original videos and imagery, enhancing repurposed content with meaningful edits, crafting high-quality captions, and avoiding third-party watermarks. Building an audience through repurposed clips is no longer tenable due to Facebook’s policy shift.
Originality is no longer optional on Facebook; it is the currency of discovery. As Meta continues to refine its algorithm, it must maintain rigorous enforcement and close loopholes to truly recalibrate incentives. Facebook aims to be a place where original content thrives, and creators are rewarded for their hard work and creativity.
- In the future, creators on Facebook might need to reconsider their strategy to earn from their content, as posting unoriginal content, especially without permission or meaningful enhancement, could lead to significant consequences, such as reduced distribution and temporary suspension from monetization programs.
- As Facebook continues to prioritize original content on its platform, creators will find it beneficial to integrate technology into their content production process, ensuring they add value and meaningful enhancements to the content they reshare, to avoid penalties and maintain access to monetization programs in the business of entertainment and technology-driven social media.
