Meta Pulls Instagram AI Image Feature Days After Launch Amid Privacy Backlash

Meta Pulls Instagram AI Image Feature Days After Launch Amid Privacy Backlash

Meta has withdrawn its controversial AI-powered image-generation feature for Instagram just days after rolling it out, following widespread criticism over privacy concerns and the use of users’ public photos without explicit consent.

The company confirmed on Friday that the feature, introduced earlier this week, had been discontinued.

“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,” Meta said in a statement.

The tool allowed users to generate AI images using the likeness of adults with public Instagram accounts, prompting concerns from privacy advocates, creators and industry groups.

How the Feature Worked

Powered by Meta’s Muse Image model, the feature enabled users to tag any adult’s public Instagram account and create AI-generated images based on that person’s appearance.

The rollout quickly drew criticism because users whose likenesses were used were not notified when AI images were generated. Instead, public account holders were automatically included unless they actively opted out.

Critics argued that such a system shifted the burden onto users rather than requiring their permission before their images could be used.

Privacy Groups Slammed the Rollout

Consumer advocacy organisation Public Citizen described the feature as a serious invasion of privacy.

“Meta has once again chosen the creepiest possible path,” said J.B. Branch, Director of Federal AI Governance and Technology Policy at Public Citizen.

“People should not wake up to discover their face has become raw material for someone else’s AI experiment,” Branch added.

The controversy reignited broader debates over whether AI companies should obtain explicit consent before using an individual’s name, image or likeness to power generative AI tools.

Meta Cited Built-In Safeguards

Before pulling the feature, Meta said the system included safeguards designed to block AI-generated images that were violent, sexually explicit or defamatory.

However, the company did not announce any policy changes before deciding to discontinue the rollout.

Alexandr Wang, head of Meta Superintelligence Labs, acknowledged that the company had received significant feedback.

“We’re definitely receiving a lot of the feedback and are being thoughtful about what the next steps for that product should be,” Wang told Axios.

Calls for Consent-Based AI Policies

The controversy also prompted responses from organisations representing creators and performers.

Talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) urged Meta to adopt an opt-in model, arguing that no person’s name, image, voice or creative work should be used by AI systems without documented consent.

Similarly, actors’ union SAG-AFTRA advised members and other Instagram users to opt out of the feature, urging people to take steps to protect their likeness.

Meta’s decision to scrap the feature comes amid growing global scrutiny of how AI companies collect, use and monetise publicly available images, with regulators and privacy advocates increasingly calling for stronger consent requirements in generative AI products.