Instagram’s Recommendation Algorithm Will Penalize ‘Unoriginal’ Photo And Carousel Posts

Meta is once again going after revamping Instagram’s recommendation algorithm to boost original content and penalize accounts that lift posts from others. The company is updating its guidelines to prioritize “original content” for photo and carousel posts on Instagram.

With the change, accounts that reshare photos or carousels without “material” edits could see their reach throttled. “If your account primarily posts unoriginal reels, photos, or carousels you didn’t create or edit in a material way, your account may not be seen in recommendations to new audiences,” Meta explains in a blog post.

The changes are Meta’s latest attempt to go after “aggregator” accounts and others who primarily post content originally shared by others. The company tweaked Instagram’s algorithm in 2024 to penalize accounts that recycle other accounts’ Reels posts, but didn’t expand the same protections to photo and carousel posts at the time. Meta has also cracked down on the same tactics on Facebook in an attempt to encourage higher-quality content.

At the same time, Meta notes that these new guidelines “can especially be complex for meme, fan, and other commentary accounts that regularly use content created by others to add to the cultural conversation on Instagram.” For those accounts, the company advises people to ensure they are “producing something original” by adding unique edits, narration or graphics. Meta notes that “low-effort edits,” like watermarks or credits to the original creator won’t be enough to meet the bar to be considered “original.”

The changes would create issues for meme accounts and others who often share content that’s similar to others. And Meta doesn’t explain how it will interpret which account is the “original” creator of posts that are widely shared. This could be especially tricky for common memes, like screenshots of years-old posts from X or Tumblr. The company says that creators can use Instagram’s account status feature to check if their reach has been throttled and can appeal if they think the company made a mistake.