In a sweeping effort to improve content authenticity, Meta has removed approximately 10 million fake profiles and cracked down on over 500,000 spam accounts on Facebook. These accounts were largely impersonating popular creators or recycling viral content without permission or meaningful edits. The company’s broader goal is to clean up users’ Feeds, reduce spam, and ensure that genuine creators get the visibility and recognition they deserve.
The initiative, which began in early 2025, specifically targets behavior such as fake engagement, uncredited reposting, and monetisation schemes that rely on repurposed content. According to Meta, “Too often, the same meme or video pops up repeatedly – sometimes from accounts pretending to be the creator.” The company says such practices degrade the user experience and push authentic, original voices to the sidelines.
To support this effort, Meta is introducing stronger platform rules to tackle unoriginal content. “We’re introducing stronger measures to reduce unoriginal content on Facebook and ultimately protect and elevate creators sharing original content,” the company stated. This includes actively identifying and down-ranking duplicate videos, making sure the original versions receive greater reach than copied ones.
A significant feature under testing is a new attribution tool, which will help users trace content back to its rightful creator whenever duplicates are detected. Meta emphasized that creators who consistently share recycled material without significant enhancement may face a drop in visibility and could be removed from monetisation programs temporarily. “Enhancements must be meaningful—simply stitching together clips or adding your watermark does not qualify,” the company clarified.
While remixing and reacting to content remains an accepted part of internet culture, Meta distinguishes that from mere duplication. As part of this campaign, the company is also offering guidance to help creators adapt—such as focusing on originality, using relevant captions, limiting the use of hashtags, and avoiding watermarks.
Meta says the rollout of these changes will be gradual to prevent disrupting genuine creators and to give them time to align with the new standards. The initiative underscores Meta’s commitment to fostering a more authentic and rewarding environment for original content creators.
