Meta Removes AI Feature Using Public Instagram Photos After Three Days

Meta has withdrawn a feature that allowed its artificial intelligence (AI) image model to utilize public photos from social media just three days after its launch.
According to a notice from Meta on July 11 (local time), the feature that enabled users to tag other people's Instagram accounts and use their public photos in the AI image generation and editing model, "Muse Image," was removed on the afternoon of July 10.
This comes three days after Meta released "Muse Image" on July 7.
When Meta first introduced the feature, it stated that it would prevent the use of photos if the user did not want them to be used, seemingly aware of concerns such as privacy.
However, Instagram users felt uneasy about others using their photos for AI, even if they were set to "public."
Users strongly protested, particularly over the fact that they would not even receive a notification if someone else used their photos.
It appears that Meta decided to remove the feature as users began sharing methods on how to prevent their photos from being used by the AI.
Meta explained its initial intention, stating, "Our goal was to provide useful creative tools and allow users to control whether their public content is used." The company added, "We have listened to feedback that it did not meet expectations and have made the feature no longer available."
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which had urged its members to block the use of their Instagram images for AI, stated, "In a climate where the dangers of unauthorized digital replicas are well-known, it is unwise to promote features that facilitate them," adding, "We appreciate that they have discontinued this feature."
AI editing features for images of real people have been found to be misused in several instances, including for defamatory photos or sexual harassment.
From late last year to early this year, it was revealed that "Grok," an AI model from xAI (now SpaceXAI), led by Elon Musk, allowed the modification of photos of women, including minors, into sexual images. This led to the model being banned in several countries and becoming the subject of investigations in others.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.