Meta has removed a newly launched artificial intelligence image generation feature from Instagram after facing widespread criticism over privacy concerns surrounding the use of public user content. The decision came only days after the tool was introduced as part of the company’s new Muse Image platform.
The feature enabled users of the Meta AI chatbot to generate or modify images by referencing content from public Instagram accounts. Because public profiles were automatically included by default, many users discovered that their photos and likeness could be used to create AI-generated content without first giving explicit permission, triggering strong opposition from privacy advocates and creative industry groups.
Meta acknowledged that the rollout failed to meet public expectations, with Brandspur Brand News reporting that the company has now disabled the feature while it reassesses its approach to user consent and AI-generated content. The company said it had intended to offer a creative tool that allowed people to reference public posts but accepted that it had not struck the right balance between innovation and user control.
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The reversal was welcomed by several organisations that had raised concerns about the technology. Entertainment union SAG-AFTRA had urged Instagram users to protect their images from unauthorised AI use, while privacy campaigners argued that publicly shared photographs should not automatically become material for artificial intelligence systems without meaningful consent.
Muse Image marked Meta’s first major consumer AI image generation product and formed part of a wider strategy to expand generative AI across its family of platforms. The company had previously indicated that similar AI capabilities would eventually reach WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger, alongside an AI-powered video generation tool currently under development.
Although Meta has not confirmed whether the withdrawn Instagram feature will return in a revised form, the latest decision reflects growing regulatory and public scrutiny over how technology companies collect, process and repurpose user-generated content for artificial intelligence products. The incident also highlights increasing pressure on AI developers to prioritise transparency, consent and stronger privacy protections as generative AI tools become more widely available.
