Meta disables Instagram AI image feature after backlash

Meta has discontinued a controversial feature of its new AI image generator that allowed users to create images based on public Instagram photos without the account holder's explicit consent. The company announced the reversal on Friday, July 10, 2026, just days after launching the tool, stating it had "missed the mark."

The feature was part of Meta's Muse Image AI model, introduced earlier in the week. It enabled users to generate or modify images by simply mentioning a public Instagram account, effectively turning public profiles into a resource for AI-generated content. The system operated on an opt-out basis, meaning the photos of adult users with public accounts were included by default unless they manually disabled the feature in their settings.

This approach prompted immediate and widespread criticism from privacy advocates, digital rights groups, and the entertainment industry. Critics argued the policy eroded personal rights and created significant risks, including the potential for misuse to create non-consensual imagery. Haley McNamara of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation stated the design was an obvious tool for sextortion and placed an unacceptable burden...