Protect your Instagram photos, Reels, and Stories from theft and unauthorized reposting
Instagram content theft is rampant—from fake accounts reposting your photos to competitors stealing your creative work. Whether you're a creator, influencer, or business, this guide provides comprehensive strategies to protect your Instagram content and enforce your rights.
Accounts that repost your content without permission, often gaining massive followings by aggregating others' work.
Impact: Dilutes your brand, steals engagement, and can redirect your audience
Fake accounts using your name, photos, and identity to scam followers or damage your reputation.
Impact: Brand damage, lost trust, potential legal liability for scams committed in your name
Businesses using your photos/videos in ads, product listings, or marketing without permission or payment.
Impact: Lost licensing revenue, unauthorized brand association
Your Stories or Reels being screen-recorded and re-uploaded without credit, often cropped to remove watermarks.
Impact: Viral content benefits others, not you; lost follower growth opportunity
Prevents your posts from being embedded on external websites
Requires approval before anyone can view your content (limits reach but maximizes control)
Filter offensive comments and hide spam that impersonators use
Share sensitive content only with verified close friends to minimize leak risk
Weekly searches using Google Images, TinEye, and Yandex with your popular posts
Search for your brand name/username as hashtags to find unauthorized reposts
Set alerts for your Instagram username and brand variations
Encourage your audience to report impersonators and stolen content they discover
For unauthorized reposts of your original content:
Tap the three dots (•••) in the top right corner
Choose "It's Inappropriate" → "Intellectual Property Violation" → "Copyright"
Provide link to your original post and a statement claiming ownership
Instagram typically responds within 24-72 hours for clear violations
For fake accounts pretending to be you:
If in-app reporting doesn't work, file a formal DMCA takedown:
For valuable content (e.g., professional photography, artistic work), register copyright with the US Copyright Office ($65 per work).
Benefit: Enables you to sue for statutory damages ($750-$30,000 per infringement) rather than just proving actual damages
Apply for Instagram verification (blue checkmark) to establish authenticity and make impersonation reports more credible.
How: Settings → Account → Request Verification (requires government ID and proof of notability)
Instagram partners with Rights Manager technology to help creators and businesses protect IP at scale.
Eligibility: Primarily for large brands/creators; requires application to Meta
Periodically remind your audience not to screenshot/repost your content without permission. Most theft is not malicious—just ignorance of copyright law.
Automated daily reverse image searches across Google, Yandex, TinEye, and Pinterest to detect unauthorized use
AI-powered scanning for fake accounts using your name, photos, and branding
We file copyright and impersonation reports on your behalf—no manual work required
Identify businesses using your content in ads/marketing without licensing—potential revenue recovery