Instagram bans repost accounts from recommendations
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Instagram announced that accounts regularly reposting others’ photos or carousels will no longer be eligible for recommendations across the app.
- Instagram expanded its original‑content protection, previously applied only to reels, to now include photos and carousels.
- Instagram defines original content as wholly created or materially edited, and low‑effort edits like watermarks or speed changes do not qualify.
- Instagram clarified that uploading a screenshot of another user’s post with the username visible for credit also does not count as original.
- Instagram said the change will not affect content from aggregator accounts users follow, only its appearance in the feeds and Discover tab.
Why it matters: Original creators gain greater exposure as their work is more likely to appear in feeds and Discover, while aggregator accounts lose recommendation‑driven reach, limiting their ability to amplify reposted material. The policy shift also tightens Instagram’s definition of originality, affecting users who rely on low‑effort edits for visibility.
