Meta has announced new measures to penalise Facebook creators who repeatedly steal content from other users, expanding its efforts to combat low-quality posts and reward original content across its platforms.

The company will demonetise accounts that “repeatedly” and “improperly” reuse other users’ text posts, photos, or videos, while also throttling the distribution of all content from offending accounts.

The penalties target creators who engage in “repeated reposting of content from other creators without permission or meaningful enhancements,” according to Meta’s blog post for creators.

The company clarified that legitimate content formats like reaction videos would not be affected by the new enforcement measures, focusing specifically on unauthorised content theft rather than transformative uses.

Accounts found violating the policy will face demonetisation “for a period of time,” though Meta did not specify the duration of these penalties.

Importantly, the restrictions will apply to all content from flagged accounts, not just posts containing stolen material, representing a significant escalation in Meta’s enforcement approach.

The crackdown extends beyond Facebook to potential changes on the platform’s video content.

Meta indicated it is exploring options to add links to original videos when duplicate content is detected, similar to measures already implemented on Instagram, where reposted Reels are actively replaced with original clips.

Meta’s enforcement efforts have already yielded substantial results, with the company reporting penalties against more than 500,000 accounts since the beginning of the year.

These measures range from demoting comments and reducing content distribution to preventing monetisation entirely for accounts that manipulate engagement or share spammy content.

The company has also removed over 10 million profiles that impersonated “large content producers,” indicating the scale of fraudulent activity on the platform.

Earlier this year, Meta announced it would demonetise creators who share posts with spammy captions and target accounts that artificially manipulate engagement metrics.

The content theft measures represent part of Meta’s broader strategy to improve Facebook’s feed quality and user experience.

The company has faced ongoing criticism about the prevalence of low-quality, recycled content that displaces original creators and degrades the platform’s overall value proposition.

To support creators in understanding and avoiding violations, Meta is rolling out new in-app insights designed to help users identify issues affecting their reach or monetisation status.

The dashboard will highlight potential problems, including unoriginal content, spammy captions, and other factors that could impact monetisation eligibility.

The enhanced enforcement tools reflect Meta’s attempt to balance creator monetisation opportunities with user experience quality, as the company seeks to maintain engagement while ensuring original content creators receive appropriate recognition and compensation for their work.

The initiative also addresses advertiser concerns about brand safety and content quality on Meta’s platforms.

The timing of the announcement coincides with increased competition from platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where content theft and monetisation policies significantly impact creator communities and platform dynamics.

Meta’s stricter approach may help differentiate Facebook as a platform that prioritises original content creation over viral content redistribution.