MUMBAI: Looks like the repost party on X is finally running into a copyright-shaped hangover. Elon Musk-owned X is tightening the screws on accounts that have been feasting on viral videos reposted from smaller creators, as the platform moves to protect original content and clean up its creator monetisation ecosystem. The crackdown follows growing criticism from creators who complained that larger verified accounts were routinely reuploading their videos, racking up views, engagement and advertising revenue while the original creators were left watching from the sidelines.
In a post on X, Head of Product Nikita Bier said the company had identified several large accounts that were “programmatically reuploading content from smaller accounts” to game the platform’s revenue-sharing programme while avoiding proper attribution.
Now, X says it will actively identify reposted videos and redirect impressions back towards the original creator instead of rewarding the account that uploaded the clip again. In other words, the algorithm is learning to spot the copycats and hand the spotlight back to the people who actually made the content.
The move marks another step in X’s larger push to encourage original creator-led content instead of engagement farming through recycled viral clips. Over the past year, repost culture had quietly evolved into a profitable business model on the platform, with aggregation accounts reposting trending videos to monetise views under X’s creator revenue-sharing programme.
Bier clarified that creators reacting to videos or adding meaningful commentary are still welcome on the platform but the key lies in attribution. He encouraged users to use X’s “Share Video” and “Quote” features instead of downloading and reposting videos directly, ensuring the original creator remains attached to the content trail.
“If you have insightful commentary about a post, we recommend using the Share Video or Quote feature to ensure your posts are properly attributed,” Bier said.
He later added that commentary-driven posts could still receive a share of impressions, but the original creator would retain the larger portion under the revised allocation system.
The change reflects a broader shift underway across social platforms, where creator economies are increasingly colliding with repost culture. As monetisation becomes tied directly to engagement, platforms are facing mounting pressure to distinguish original creativity from content recycling disguised as curation.
For X, the timing is significant. Since introducing creator payouts, the platform has been trying to position itself as a serious destination for independent creators, video-first personalities and real-time content communities. But the rise of viral repost accounts threatened to undermine that pitch, especially as smaller creators accused bigger pages of siphoning away both visibility and earnings.
Bier, who joined X in 2025, has been actively pushing for more original content on the platform, particularly creator-led videos featuring users speaking directly to camera rather than relying purely on reposted internet clips.
The update also signals X’s attempt to shift the platform culture away from passive aggregation and towards more authentic creator participation. Whether the system can consistently distinguish meaningful commentary from lazy reposting remains to be seen, but one thing is now clear: on X, simply copying the homework may no longer pay the bills.