Meta Pulls Muse Image Feature After Privacy Backlash
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- Meta pulled the Muse Image feature from Instagram days after launch, admitting it "missed the mark" because public accounts were automatically opted in and could have their likeness used without knowledge or permission.
- The feature let users of the Meta AI chatbot tag public-facing Instagram accounts to quickly generate or alter images using content from those accounts, making it Meta's first foray into AI image generation.
- Sag-Aftra called the reversal a "win," having previously urged its members and "all Instagram users" to act, citing an "utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use."
- Privacy International, a London-based human rights charity, told the BBC the feature was "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited."
- Meta said additional AI features and integrations were planned for WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger, and the company has an AI video tool in development.
Why it matters: Meta's first AI image generator lasted less than a week, with the default opt-in exposing a consent gap Hollywood's Sag-Aftra flagged for performer likeness rights. The rapid U-turn now puts Meta's planned AI expansions to WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger, and a forthcoming video tool under the same scrutiny before any rollout.
