Public Accounts at Risk

Users of the Meta AI chatbot could tag public Instagram accounts and use their content to create or altered images; the feature quickly drew criticism, leading Meta to admit it had “missed the mark” and that the feature is now “no longer available.”

Muse Image was Meta’s first foray into AI image generation. However, users were opted in by default, meaning anyone with a public Instagram account could have their likeness used without their knowledge or permission.

Industry and Advocacy Concerns

Hollywood union Sag-Aftra described the move as a “win” after it had previously urged its members and “all Instagram users” to take action to protect their likenesses. The union had warned that there had been an “utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use.”

Privacy International, a London-based human rights charity, also criticized the feature, telling the BBC it was “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited.”

Meta’s Response

Meta stated its intent was to provide a useful creative tool and give users control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. The company added, “We’ve heard the feedback.”

When announcing Muse Image, Meta said the feature was limited to Instagram, but more AI features and integrations were planned for WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. The company also has an AI video tool in development.

Meta declined to make any further comment on the matter.