X announced new in-app video editing tools in July 2026 after its head of product acknowledged that video theft is widespread on the platform, with many top accounts reposting content stolen from other users.
Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said in a post on Monday that “many videos from top accounts are simply stolen from other users, sometimes 5 years after they originally went viral.” He also noted that videos “make up close to half the impressions on X.”
The new video tools are available now on X’s iOS app. Features include an in-app video recorder and editor, caption overlays in multiple languages, automatic caption generation, a video trimming tool, and a “green screen” option that lets users add custom backgrounds using posts or photos from their camera roll. The green screen feature is similar to functionality already available on Instagram and TikTok.
According to Bier, the tools are intended to encourage original content that “doesn’t exist on other platforms,” addressing what he described as a “recycled content” problem on the platform.
The announcement is part of a broader effort by X to crack down on content recycling. In May, Bier said his team had identified large accounts that were programmatically reuploading other users’ content to game X’s revenue share program, and that X would redirect impressions from those posts to the original creators. In April, Bier announced reduced payouts to accounts sharing stolen reposts and clickbait.
With the new tools, Bier added that creators who avoid recycled content “will climb faster than other accounts,” suggesting the platform may adjust its algorithmic or financial incentives to further reward original posting.
Source: The Verge