Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Monday that it has significantly intensified efforts to clean up its platform, removing half a million accounts for spam and fake engagement in the first half of 2025 alone. Additionally, the company said it had taken down nearly 10 million fake profiles impersonating popular content creators.

The sweeping enforcement is part of Meta’s broader crackdown on impersonation, copycat content, and deceptive practices that diminish user trust and obstruct authentic creators.

“We’re making progress,” Meta stated in a blog post. “In the first half of 2025, we took action on around 500,000 accounts engaged in spammy behaviour or fake engagement… and took down around 10 million profiles impersonating large content producers.”

Clampdown on Unoriginal Content

Beyond fake accounts, Meta is introducing stricter rules against recycling content—particularly reposting others’ work without permission or meaningful edits. Accounts that consistently post unoriginal material will face reduced reach in Facebook feeds and lose monetisation privileges.

“Simply stitching clips together or adding a watermark will no longer count as meaningful editing,” the company said, noting that authentic storytelling and original content will be prioritised.

Watermarked content reposted from other platforms like TikTok or YouTube could also trigger penalties.

New Tools for Creators

To support legitimate creators, Meta is testing tools to trace reposted content back to its original source, helping ensure credit and visibility go to the rightful creators. The platform has also updated its Professional Dashboard with post-level insights and warnings for creators at risk of restrictions or demonetisation.

Industry-Wide Push

Meta’s announcement comes as other platforms, like YouTube, take similar steps. YouTube recently updated its monetisation policies to block mass-produced or repetitive content from earning ad revenue. The move caused confusion among users, with concerns about a potential clampdown on AI-generated content.

However, YouTube clarified that it continues to support creators using AI to enhance storytelling, stating, “Channels that use AI in their content remain eligible to monetise.”

What It Means

The policy updates reflect an industry-wide push to boost quality and originality in digital content while tackling spam, impersonation, and algorithm-gaming tactics.

Meta’s new rules will roll out gradually over the coming months, with a strong emphasis on transparency, credit attribution, and platform integrity.