Instagram is making changes through an update to its algorithm that will demote Reels featuring TikTok watermarks. The photo-sharing app does not want users to post recycled TikTok videos on Reels. After TikTok got banned in India, users started uploading TikTok videos on Instagram that had the brand’s watermark on it. The move will help Instagram get more original posts on Reels instead of re-posting content from its competitors. Users can post vertical videos with music or sound found in Instagram’s library on Reels.
Instagram spokesperson Devi Narasimhan told The Verge that the company was personalizing users’ experience to explore fun and entertaining videos in the Reels tab.
Both Reels and TikTok have identical formats, so users tend to post the same video on both platforms; however, the videos uploaded on TikTok, when published, get a watermark.
Users posting the videos on Reel with TikTok watermark may not be promoted. Instagram won’t be banning or hiding such stories but won’t get a push and may not appear on the app’s Reels feed.
Instagram wants its users to create new and fresh videos for Reels using songs available on Instagram’s music library and not from TikTok or any other platform.
Unlike TikTok, Reels does not have a standalone app but lets users discover short, fun videos from creators all over the world.
