After reporting last week on Facebook introducing restrictions on live music streams, the social media platform have recently revealed that it is also testing a new way to let users claim ownership of their images and issue takedown requests if they wish, as reported by The Verge. A new tool called Rights Manager For Images, will give creators the ability to track and moderate where their images appear across Facebook and Instagram, with the trial to begin with select partners or for those who apply.

To use the tool, creators will upload a CSV file of their image and its metadata. They can then specify where copyright applies. The manager will monitor where the image shows up, and creators can decide to leave the image up, issue a takedown or block it from certain territories.

However, as The Verge notes, this could have a knock on affect on Instagram, where accounts often ‘re-share’ images. Those posts could be vulnerable to takedowns. The changes could also have implications for memes and Facebook will have to decide whether editing a meme can be considered as creating a new image.

Until now, photographers had limited means of protecting their content across Facebook’s platforms. They could only take actions like enabling or disabling embedding entirely or making their account private. So this will be deemed as great news for those behind a camera lens.

As mentioned, Facebook says access to the new Rights Manager for Images will be opened up initially to selected users or those who apply here.

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