Meta removes Muse Image feature that referenced public Instagram accounts

Meta has removed a newly launched Muse Image feature that allowed people to generate AI images by referencing photos from public Instagram accounts, following criticism over privacy and consent.

The feature let users “@-mention” a public Instagram account in Meta AI, allowing Muse Image to use publicly available photos from the profile as visual references for a generated image.

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In an update posted on July 10, Meta acknowledged that the feature failed to meet users’ expectations.

“We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available,” Meta said.

The company said it intended to provide a creative tool while giving Instagram users control over whether their public content could be referenced. Meta had initially said users could disable the capability through an Instagram setting.

However, the feature raised concerns because a person’s publicly posted photos could be used in an AI-generated image by another user simply by tagging the account.

Meta did not provide further details on the feedback it received, how many people had used the feature, or what would happen to images already generated through it.

The removal applies only to the capability involving public Instagram accounts. Muse Image itself remains available through Meta AI.

Muse Image is the first image-generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs. It can generate visuals from text prompts, edit existing photos, combine multiple images and allow users to draw or mark areas they want changed.

The model also powers more than 30 AI effects for Instagram Stories. Image generation through Meta AI is being introduced in WhatsApp direct chats in selected countries, with wider availability planned later.