Meta Pulls Back New AI Image Feature After Privacy Fallout

Mon Sep 14 2026 06:45:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Meta removes its Muse Image tool after backlash over using strangers’ public photos to generate fake images, citing privacy concerns and user backlash.

Meta’s new Muse Image AI, designed to create fake images from public Instagram content, was swiftly disabled after backlash over its default opt‑in policy. Critics argued that the feature allowed anyone’s likeness to be altered without permission, sparking complaints from SAG‑Aftra and Privacy International. Meta admitted it had “missed the mark”, promising to rethink how it handles user data and AI content creation.

Meta pulls new AI image feature after backlash

AI‑generated image of a woman against a Bauhaus background — Image generated by Muse Image AI

Meta abruptly removed its Muse Image feature from Instagram after users and watchdogs raised privacy concerns over its default opt‑in policy.

The tool allowed anyone with a public Instagram account to be used—without their knowledge—to create AI‑generated images or videos. The backlash was swift, with the entertainment union SAG‑Aftra describing the recall as a "win" and publicly warning its members about the "obvious dangers and harms" of such use.

Privacy‑rights group Privacy International called the feature "another sign that AI companies view people’s data as raw material to be exploited." Meta admitted it had"missed the mark" and was reconsidering how it gives users control over their likeness.

In its announcement, Meta said the Muse Image rollout was limited to Instagram but that additional AI features are planned for Facebook, WhatsApp and Messenger, and that video tools are in development.

No further comment has been made by Meta regarding future improvements or timelines for the feature’s reinstatement.