Meta has withdrawn a controversial feature from its newly launched AI image-generation tool, Muse Image, after widespread criticism over privacy concerns. The feature had allowed users to generate AI images based on photos from public Instagram accounts simply by tagging a person's username in a prompt.
In a blog post published on Friday, Meta confirmed that it had discontinued the feature following public backlash.
"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way," the company said.
Acknowledging the criticism, Meta added, "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available."
While the company has removed this capability, Muse Image itself remains available for AI image generation.
Why Meta Pulled the Feature
The feature drew criticism because all eligible public Instagram accounts were automatically enrolled by default. Users who did not want their public photos to be used for AI image generation had to manually opt out through their account settings.
Another point of concern was that Instagram users were not notified when someone created AI-generated images using their public profile.
Critics argued that the feature could enable the creation of AI-generated images without a person's knowledge or consent, raising concerns about potential misuse. Meta had clarified that private accounts and accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 were excluded from the feature.
Following its removal, attempts to tag a public Instagram account while prompting Meta AI to generate an image now result in the chatbot declining the request.
Meta has also removed the "Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta" option from the settings menu for public Instagram accounts.
Industry-Wide Concerns Over AI Image Generation
The controversy also drew criticism from the entertainment industry. Talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents actors including Tom Cruise, Zendaya, and Meryl Streep, urged Meta to reverse its default approach.
In a statement issued earlier, the agency said, "We call on Meta to make protection the default on Muse Image, not the exception, and enable individuals to opt in if they want to allow usage of their image or likeness for AI content creation."
Meta is not the only technology company to face scrutiny over AI-generated media. Earlier this year, OpenAI received criticism over the opt-out mechanism for its Sora 2 video-generation model before revising its policies and eventually discontinuing the model. Similarly, xAI's Grok Imagine feature came under fire after users generated altered images of individuals without their consent, prompting broader discussions about safeguards for AI-generated content.
