Meta recently unveiled its new generation AI image generation model, Muse Image, developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). However, the company faced severe privacy controversies due to one of its features, leading to the announcement on July 10 that they would halt the provision of that feature.
Originally, this feature allowed users to tag public Instagram accounts with “@”, using the photos publicly posted on those accounts as reference materials for AI-generated images. The system would not notify the owners of the tagged accounts, sparking widespread concerns about portrait rights and privacy protection.
When public outrage began to escalate, Meta issued a statement asserting that strict control measures and security protections were established upon the launch of Muse Image.
Nevertheless, this statement failed to appease the public’s doubts. Consequently, Meta later announced on their official blog on July 10, “Earlier this week, we introduced the feature that could generate images by tagging public Instagram accounts with “@”, aiming to provide more practical creative tools. However, we have listened to users’ feedback and believe that this feature did not meet expectations, therefore we have decided to discontinue it.”
Muse Image is the new AI image generation model launched by Meta’s Meta Superintelligence Labs this week. Apart from the Instagram tagging feature mentioned above, the model also supports using AI effects in Instagram Stories. Furthermore, there are plans for its integration into WhatsApp and Meta’s standalone AI applications for image generation.
The core of the controversy lies in the fact that all public Instagram accounts are by default available as reference sources for AI-generated images. In other words, as long as an account is set to public, other users can utilize its public photos as material for generating images, without prior notification or separate consent from the individuals involved.
If users do not wish for their public photos to be used for AI generation purposes, they can only opt-out or change the account to private. With Meta’s announcement of discontinuing this feature, users of public Instagram accounts can temporarily rest assured that their photos will not be used for AI image generation without authorization.
The Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) welcomed Meta’s policy shift and characterized it as a “victory.” The union had previously urged its members and all Instagram users to take measures to protect their portrait rights, criticizing Meta’s default mechanism stating that it “completely misjudged the public’s backlash against such applications.”
The renowned US talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) also contacted Meta, criticizing the lack of responsible awareness in this new feature. CAA stated, “Artists have the right to determine how their image and work are being used, and this should be based on their consent and their own decisions on authorization conditions.”
The London-based human rights charity organization Privacy International also criticized the Muse Image feature, telling the BBC, “This once again shows that AI companies still consider people’s images and personal data as raw materials for exploitation.”
As of now, Meta has not issued further comments on the related controversies.