Instagram Gives Creators More Control Over Reposted Content

Instagram now allows users to remove reposts of their posts shared by others, adding another layer of control to the repost feature the platform launched in August 2025.

The update gives creators more say over how their content spreads across the platform, part of a broader shift by Meta to prioritise original work and address long-standing concerns about content ownership on Instagram.

What creators can control

Creators who want to prevent others from reposting their content can disable the feature entirely through their settings. By turning off sharing and reuse options in Instagram settings, you can prevent others from reposting your content by navigating to Settings, then Sharing and Reuse, and switching off repost permissions.

You can repost any public post to both your grid and Story, unless the original creator has turned off the ability to share their content, meaning the control sits with the person who made the work, not the person who wants to share it.

When someone reposts content using Instagram's native feature, it shows up on your profile under a separate Reposts tab, and it still gives credit to the original creator by linking back to their post. But for creators concerned about unauthorised use, particularly those working in creative industries or managing brand identities, that attribution alone may not be enough.

Why this matters for social media professionals

The control mechanism addresses a genuine power imbalance. Before these settings existed, any public post could be reposted by anyone with no recourse for the original creator beyond reporting copyright violations or asking politely for removal.

When others repost your content, it can have both positive and negative effects: your content can reach new audiences, increasing your followers or brand awareness, but you might lose control over how your content is used, and it could be shared in contexts you don't approve of.

For photographers, artists, and creators whose livelihood depends on maintaining control over their work, the ability to block reposts entirely shifts the default from "open by default" to "creator's choice." For brands managing visual identity, it prevents content from appearing on profiles that don't align with their positioning.

The broader crackdown on aggregator culture

This update lands in the middle of Instagram's most aggressive push yet against accounts built primarily on reposted content. On 30 April 2026, Instagram expanded its original content protections to photos and carousels, extending rules that previously applied only to Reels, with accounts that primarily repost content they did not create no longer recommended to non-followers across Explore, the Feed, and the Discover tab.

The platform analyses accounts on a rolling 30-day basis, with aggregator accounts that are ineligible for recommendations able to regain visibility by posting original content, such as photos, carousels, and reels, within these 30 days.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri outlined the shift in plain terms: accounts that primarily share content they didn't create, or haven't meaningfully transformed, will no longer be recommended to users who don't already follow them, with Meta saying that simply crediting the original creator or adding superficial edits will not meet the threshold.

What to do about it

If you're a creator or managing content for a brand, the decision to disable reposts isn't automatic. Reposts can extend reach and build community. But they can also dilute brand control and redirect engagement away from the original post.

The strategic calculation depends on your goals. If discoverability and reach matter most, leaving reposts enabled makes sense. If brand consistency, aesthetic control, or protecting work from being taken out of context matters more, turn them off.

Whether you're using the native repost button, sharing to Stories, or curating user-generated content for your brand's feed, the stakes are real: copyright still belongs to the original creator, and Meta's algorithm now actively deprioritises accounts that rely too heavily on reposts.

For social media managers running brand accounts, this is also a reminder to check whether your content strategy leans too heavily on resharing. Content aggregators who repost others' work, including photos or carousels, will no longer appear in Instagram recommendations, though posts from aggregator accounts will still be visible to users who already follow them.

The repost feature itself remains live and widely used. But the power dynamic around it has shifted, quietly, in favour of the people who actually make the work. For an industry built on content, that change is long overdue.