All the YouTube Shorts you repost to TikTok will now tell on you

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The company wants to be credited for the resharing of their videos on the site.

When a creator downloads shorts videos, the company will add watermarks to them, according to a post about new features. Some creators will make a short-form video in one app, download it, and then post it to other platforms. There is a clear explanation in the post.

A watermark has been added to the Shorts you download so that your viewers can see that the content you're sharing across platforms can be found on YouTube shorts.

The major short-form video platforms are fighting for creators and viewers, and other companies have gone about the cross- platform sharing issue in a variety of ways. TikTok videos that have been downloaded contain watermarks and the creator's name so viewers can easily find the original video.

It was no secret that many creators were reposting their TikToks instead of making their own. Last year, it was decided that Reels that had its competitor's watermark wouldn't be promoted. It said in April that it would change its algorithm to give preference to original content.

Since the product's launch in 2020, it has been heavily promoted. The company set aside $100 million to dole out to creators who make shorts, and short-form clips are taking up more and more real estate on the app.

In the next few weeks, the Shorts watermark will be available on desktop and mobile, according to the post. Before that, get your watermark-free downloads in.