Astrophotographer Calls on X to Give Creators Control Over Embedded Posts

An astrophotographer is urging X owner Elon Musk to introduce controls that would allow photographers to limit how their work is embedded on the platform, after footage he captured of the Geminids meteor shower was widely reused without his approval.

Astrophotographer Paul M. Smith raised the issue publicly on X (formerly known as Twitter), arguing that the platform lacks basic tools that would help photographers and other creators protect their work from being reused by other accounts for engagement and growth. The astrophotographer encouraged X to follow the example of platforms such as YouTube and Instagram that allow creators to disable embedding on a post-by-post basis.

“@elonmusk needs to add a feature like every other platform whereby we can turn off post embedding,” Smith writes on X.

According to a report by International Business Times UK, Smith’s request follows a dispute over a video Smith captured of the Geminids meteor shower. According to a summary generated by Grok based on posts circulating on X, Smith shared the clip on his account and later discovered that other profiles, including “Milky Way Astronomers” and “Curiosity,” had embedded the video into their own posts. Smith objects to the use of his footage without permission, saying that the embeds were used to attract followers and engagement to those accounts.

After raising concerns on X, Smith removed his original post and began pursuing takedowns. He later writes on X that DMCA notices were issued and that the embedded versions of the video were removed on Monday. Smith also explains that he deleted a post that had gained significant traction on X because he did not want third-party accounts benefiting financially or reputationally from his work. He writes that he was unwilling to let such creators “embed my clips and grow their following and then go on to make money and spread disinformation, AI junk, etc.”

A screenshot shared by Smith shows the deleted post had received more than 135,000 views, around 9,000 likes, 135 comments, and 1,100 shares before it was taken down. The astrophotographer directed users who still want to view his footage of the Geminids meteor shower to a Facebook link hosting the original video.

While many major social media platforms give creators the ability to limit how their content is embedded, it has remained a contentious issue for photographers who argue that the practice allows their work to be displayed on third-party websites without permission or payment. In 2023, Instagram beat a class of photographers in a lawsuit that claimed the Meta-owned platform contributes to copyright infringement by allowing outside websites to embed images. Meanwhile, earlier this year, a photographer asked the Supreme Court to decide whether a website infringed his copyright by embedding his Instagram posts without his permission.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.