X takes action against accounts reposting stolen viral videos: Starts penalizing accounts

Social media platform X has started taking stricter action against accounts that repost viral videos and memes created by others just to earn money from engagement. The move targets what many users often describe as the platform’s growing “copycat economy,” where large repost accounts quickly upload trending content from smaller creators and benefit from millions of views while the original creator gets little recognition. Also Read: X Pauses Encrypted DMs Amid Improvements: Could This Be a Move Toward XChat?

If you regularly scroll through X, chances are you have already seen the same viral clip or meme uploaded by multiple accounts within minutes. In many cases, repost pages gain far more engagement than the original creator. With the latest update, X now wants to change how visibility and monetisation work for such content. Also Read: Twitter.com is now X.com for posts shared on iOS

What did X say

According to Nikita Bier, the company recently identified several large accounts that were allegedly using automated methods to reupload videos and content from smaller creators. These repost accounts were reportedly taking advantage of X’s creator revenue-share program, which allows eligible creators to earn money based on engagement and impressions on their posts.

In a post shared on X, Bier said that some accounts were “programmatically reuploading content from smaller accounts” in order to game the system and avoid properly crediting the original creator. The issue has been widely criticised by users for months, especially by independent creators who felt their content was being stolen for monetisable engagement.

Original creators may now receive most of the impressions

To tackle the problem, X is changing how impressions are distributed on reposted content. Bier explained that the platform is now identifying copied uploads and allocating the majority of impressions directly to the original creator instead of repost accounts.

This means that creators who first upload a viral video or meme could now receive the largest share of visibility, reach, and monetisation benefits. The update is expected to reduce earnings for aggregation pages whose business models depend heavily on reposting content created by others.

The change could also encourage more users to create original content rather than relying on recycled uploads to grow engagement.

Commentary posts will still be allowed on X

While X is cracking down on copied uploads, the platform says commentary and reactions are still welcome. Bier encouraged users to use the ‘Share Video’ or ‘Quote’ feature when reacting to a viral clip instead of downloading and reposting the content separately.

According to him, users who add meaningful opinions, analysis, or context through quote posts can still receive a portion of impressions. However, the original upload will continue to receive the majority share of visibility.

This approach appears aimed at supporting genuine discussion while discouraging simple reposting practices that offer little value beyond copying someone else’s work.

X acknowledges issue with Share Video feature

Some users also raised concerns regarding the platform’s Share Video tool. They pointed out that when users write more than 280 characters, the embedded video sometimes turns into a normal link instead of remaining visible in the post.

Responding to the complaint, Bier admitted that it was a bug and confirmed that X is working on a fix.

Bigger push against content aggregation pages

The latest update is part of X’s broader attempt to reduce payouts to large aggregation accounts that rely heavily on reposted material for monetisable engagement. Over the past few years, repost culture has become increasingly common across social media platforms, often leaving original creators without proper reach or compensation.

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By shifting impressions back toward the original uploader, X appears to be trying to create a system where creators who actually make viral content receive more recognition and revenue than accounts that simply repost it first.