Meta's New Feature Stops Competitors Stealing Your Reels
Meta is releasing a new Rights Manager feature to stop competitors from stealing your Reels. Here is how it works and how to protect your content assets.
News
SoMe AI Team
26 November 2025
15 min read
Ever had a competitor steal your high-performing Reel or TikTok and use it in their own content? It is a super common occurrence unfortunately, and one that frustrates creators and brands alike. For years, 'Dropshippers' and unethical competitors have ripped winning creative strategies by simply screen-recording and re-uploading.
Now though, Meta is in the process of releasing a new feature that changes the game. It will auto-scan for other accounts copying your Reel across Facebook and Instagram and alert you about these copycat videos using advanced fingerprinting technology.
How The Rights Manager Works
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Social content suggestion 2The technology works similarly to YouTube's Content ID system. It scans the audio and visual components of your uploaded Reels to create a digital signature. When another account uploads content that matches this signature, the system flags it immediately.
- Add an 'Original by' attribution: This allows the video to remain up, but adds a link back to your original profile, essentially giving you free reach.
- Block the video entirely: This removes the video from the copier's account immediately.
- Release the claim: If it turns out to be a false alert or a fan account you want to support.
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Important Note: It is unfortunately only currently available for monetising creators and select brand partners, but will be rolled out to everyone at some point in the near future.Why This Matters for E-commerce
For E-commerce brands, your creative assets are your intellectual property. You spend thousands on production, scripting, and editing. When a competitor steals that asset, they are diluting your brand and potentially confusing your customers.
We recommend all brands audit their Rights Manager settings in Meta Business Suite regularly. Even if you don't have the feature yet, ensuring your business verification is up to date will help you access it faster when the rollout widens.
Conclusion
This feature suggests that Meta is finally taking IP protection seriously in the vertical video format. For brands investing heavily in unique creative, this provides a much-needed layer of security against content theft.