Meta Removes Controversial AI Feature After Instagram Privacy Backlash
- Michele
- 14 July 2026, Tuesday
Meta has removed a controversial feature from its new AI image generator Muse Image after users and privacy advocates raised concerns about consent and online privacy. The feature allowed users to create AI-generated images based on public Instagram profiles by tagging another account, meaning people could use someone else’s images without their direct approval or knowledge.
Meta Removes Muse Image Feature After Privacy Concerns
Earlier this month, Meta announced the launch of Muse Image, its new AI image generator that can be accessed through Meta AI and integrated across Meta’s platforms. The tool lets users do the same things as other generative AI tools: edit images, create visuals, and generate AI-based content.
However, one specific feature quickly became the center of criticism. The tool allowed users to generate images using content from public Instagram accounts by tagging another profile in a prompt.
As TechCrunch reported, users were able to manipulate other Instagram users’ images with AI as long as those users' profiles were public. The feature did not notify the person whose images were used, which led to widespread concerns about privacy, consent, and potential misuse.
The criticism focused on the fact that public availability does not equal permission to use someone’s identity or likeness to generate AI-generated content. For many users, the issue revolved around an ethical question: should people be able to transform someone else’s content and appearance into new AI-generated creations without approval, and why was the tool introduced in a way that appeared to normalize this practice?
Following the criticism, Meta removed the feature a couple days after the launch. The company said the tool “missed the mark” and that the ability to generate images by referencing public Instagram accounts was no longer available.
But how powerful was the feature really? Gizmodo reporter Mike Pearl tested the tool before it was removed to see what it was capable of. He first attempted to generate an image using data from his own private account, but the attempt failed. He then created an image of Mark Zuckerberg driving a 1960s-style spy movie car, which produced a highly realistic result.
For the final part of the test, he generated images of both an Instagram friend and a real-world friend who he had never followed or interacted with on the platform. Both attempts worked, showing that the feature could be used with public profiles without the person’s direct consent and produce realistic results.
What Artists Can Learn from the Controversy
For artists, the launch and subsequent removal of the controversial feature highlights a broader issue surrounding identity and privacy in the age of AI.
At the core of the debate is the fact that, for most artists, maintaining a public online presence is an essential part of building a career. Modern music marketing strongly relies on the artist-as-brand approach, where audiences connect not only with a musician’s songs but also with their personality and behind-the-scenes content.
That said, online visibility does not automatically grant others the right to use someone’s likeness, even though it is often treated that way in practice. With AI, the concern becomes even greater, as public images can potentially be used to create realistic AI-generated content resembling artists without their knowledge or consent. This is why maintaining control over visual identity and creative output is becoming an increasingly important issue for artists.
While Meta has now removed the feature, the controversy highlights a broader concern for artists and creators: the growing tendency of platforms to introduce AI features by default rather than allowing users to choose whether they want to participate.
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Michele is a Berlin-based writer passionate about music in its many forms, from soulful house, groovy techno, and breaky jungle/drum & bass to alternative rock, dark wave, and beyond. With experience in production, journalism, and DJing, they engage with the culture of sound from multiple perspectives. Their current topics of interest include club culture, music discovery & curation, dance, and the ways music affects perception & feeling. Michele writes in English.
