April 20, 2026: Authenticity, Clickbait, and Livestreamers
Your weekly briefing on platform changes, threats, and enforcement actions affecting your content.
This newsletter is written and curated by Robert Caple, founder of Stop Content Theft, with over a decade of experience in content protection and platform enforcement.
UGC platforms have been busy this week, with a host of new features being announced as they prioritise live streaming and in-stream monetisation. In the age of AI, authenticity and integrity are in growing demand. Platforms know it, brands know it, and creators know it. These platform updates reflect that demand, and it is not going away anytime soon.
TL;DR
X demonetises clickbait accounts
Meta attempts to kill off ‘Link In Bio’
YouTube introduces new features to improve supporter-creator interaction
Brands cash in on live streamer authenticity
X reducing payments to “clickbait accounts”
X (Twitter) are cutting payments to accounts they deem to be posting clickbait, though ‘authentic’ creators are already getting caught up in it and being demonetised with no explanation. Prominent creators on the platform have noted a sharp drop in impressions and a decrease in traffic from the site to other websites and platforms, with the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) being the latest notable account to close.
Meta are now allowing eligible Instagram creators to tag products directly within Reels, making the ‘link in bio’ workaround a thing of the past. They will now allow eligible creators to include up to 30 product links in a single Reel – finally catching up with TikTok. For now, Meta will not take a commission on product links but the feature is in the testing phase and their generosity may quickly dissipate.
4 new engagement options for YouTube creators
YouTube has announced new live-streaming options to boost engagement and monetisation. 1) Horizontal streams will now be able to receive gifts from viewers, 2) users in Canada, Asia, New Zealand and Australia will now be able to buy in-stream gifts and stickers to support their favourite creators, 3) YouTube is introducing personal ad-free periods after a fan buys gifts in a livestream, rewarding them for their donation, 4) streamers will now be able to go live in vertical and horizontal formats simultaneously, with viewers joining a single stream.
These updates are intended to increase interaction and monetisation for streamers while adapting to the rise of viewers watching YouTube on TVs instead of mobile phones.
Instagram expands Your Algorithm tool to Explore
Instagram is giving users more control over their own algorithms as they expand their ‘Your Algorithm’ feature. When the feature was rolled out in December 2025, it was limited to Reels, but is now being expanded to Explore, allowing users to control the types of videos they see in their Explore feed by selecting the topics they are interested in. The changes users make to their preferences will now be reflected across Reels and Explore.
Brands are betting on the authenticity of streamers
With the flood of AI-created content across social media, authenticity is at a premium and live streamers are thriving. Many users’ purchasing decisions are based on the authenticity of the creator advertising to them and this is especially crucial with the rise of livestream shopping. Brands are cashing in on this fruitful relationship between creator and consumer, turning towards live streamers and away from influencers.
An insightful interview with marketing and UGC expert Regina Iakupova about how creator adverts help brands to build trust with consumers while outsourcing their production to creators who have their own professional setup. Worth a read for those who are looking to pursue brand deals and want to understand what they want from creators.
If you’re dealing with content theft, contact Stop Content Theft today.
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
Written and produced by a human. All opinions are my own.