X says top accounts steal videos from other users as it announces new video tools

2026-07-07 · Source: The Verge · Field: Media & Entertainment — Digital Media & Streaming, Content Creation & Production · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, quick

Summary

X, through its head of product Nikita Bier, has launched new in-app video editing and recording tools on its iOS app to combat widespread content theft and encourage original posts. Bier noted that nearly half of X's impressions come from videos, many of which are stolen from other users, sometimes years after initial virality. The new tools include multi-language caption overlays, a "green screen" feature utilizing camera roll photos or existing posts, video trimming, and automatic caption generation. This initiative follows previous efforts by X to address "programmatically reuploading content" and "stolen reposts and clickbait," including reallocating impressions to original creators and reducing payouts to aggregators. X aims for these tools to foster unique content, promising faster growth for creators who avoid recycled material.

Key takeaway

For content creators on X aiming for visibility and revenue, you should immediately adopt the new in-app video editing tools to produce original content. X is actively penalizing recycled posts and rewarding unique contributions with faster account growth and impression allocation. Prioritizing original video creation, especially utilizing features like green screen and multi-language captions, is now critical for maximizing your reach and engagement on the platform.

Key insights

X combats widespread video content theft by launching new in-app editing tools and adjusting creator incentives to favor original posts.

Principles

• Content theft impacts platform engagement.
• Tools and policy drive creator behavior.
• Original content boosts platform value.

Method

X's method involves deploying in-app video editing tools (trimming, green screen, captions) alongside policy changes that reallocate impressions and adjust payouts to favor original content creators.

In practice

• Utilize X's in-app video editor.
• Apply green screen for custom backgrounds.
• Prioritize original content for growth.

Topics

• X Platform
• Video Editing
• Content Theft
• Creator Incentives
• Original Content
• Social Media Policy

Best for: AI Product Manager, Tech Journalist, Product Manager, Marketing Professional

Related on AIssential

• Viral Reupload System — Builds YouTube Channels While You Sleep — Faceless YouTube channels can rapidly grow by reuploading and transforming existing viral content.
• Why Instagram is Losing Gen Z: We Asked 100 Users to Compare TikTok vs. Reels — Human evaluation is crucial for optimizing content algorithms beyond simple engagement metrics to capture genuine user delight.
• You can now remix other people’s YouTube Shorts with AI — YouTube Shorts now offers AI-driven remixing via Gemini Omni, allowing creative manipulation of content while ensuring creator control and original video attribution.
• We Just Turned Down Millions of Dollars. Here Is Why. — Maintaining independence and quality in content creation often requires rejecting lucrative offers and adhering to strict ethical standards.
• Hollywood is COOKED — AI-driven content generation will fundamentally reshape the entertainment industry, shifting power to creators and personalized experiences.
• Bonus: More April Fools pranks from Eiffel Tower Llama — Exclusive content can incentivize financial support for online platforms.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Verge.