Instagram is widening its push to reward original creators, updating its recommendation algorithm to limit the reach of accounts that primarily repost others’ content across more formats, including photos and carousel posts.
The move extends a policy first introduced in 2024, when Instagram began reducing the visibility of recycled Reels. Under the latest changes, accounts that mainly share unoriginal photos, videos, or carousels will no longer be eligible for placement in recommendation surfaces, where the platform suggests content to users beyond the accounts they already follow.
Instagram, owned by Meta Platforms, said the update is designed to give greater prominence to original creators and curb the influence of content aggregators that often republish material without substantial modification.
“We know how frustrating it can be to see aggregators benefit from your work,” the company said in a statement announcing the changes.
To clarify what qualifies as original content, Instagram said uploaded photos and videos must reflect a creator’s own vision through original photography, filming, or editing. Posts incorporating third-party material must be materially transformed, rather than simply reposted.
Examples of acceptable transformation include adding contextual on-screen text, incorporating original graphics that provide new information, or using Instagram’s remix tools to substantially reinterpret the source material.
The policy shift comes as social media platforms face mounting pressure to better reward original work and protect creators from content duplication. Last month, Meta extended similar originality standards to Feed and Reels recommendations on Facebook.
Original content already accounts for a growing share of engagement on Instagram. Meta said 75% of content recommended to users in the United States now comes from posts its systems classify as original.
