Meta pulls Instagram AI image tool after privacy and deepfake backlash

It started as a routine product drop. Then it spiraled into a PR nightmare. Now it's gone.

On Friday, Meta announced that a new feature allowing users to generate AI images from public Instagram posts is no longer available. Users first learned of the feature on Tuesday, when Meta unveiled Muse Image — the first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. Muse Image is available through Meta AI.

"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," Meta said in an Instagram blog post.

Other Muse Image features, such as the ability to make edits directly on photos, remain available.

Swift Backlash from Users and Advocates

Instagram users quickly rebuked the feature after its rollout, citing privacy concerns and the potential for deepfake content. Many shared advice on how to opt out of the feature on social media platforms like X and Reddit.

Privacy advocates also criticized the move. Apar Gupta, founding director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, posted a video on X on Friday:

"Just because Meta owns one of the largest social media platforms, and we're forced to use it, it's been taking it as an excuse to violate our consent and privacy again and again."

Entertainment Industry Reacts

SAG-AFTRA, the labor union representing approximately 160,000 entertainment and media professionals, urged its members to opt out of the feature. In a statement to Business Insider, the union said:

"Anything other than a clear and conspicuous OPT-IN for these types of uses of Instagram users' images is unacceptable, and an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use."

The union applauded Meta's decision to pull the feature:

"With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do."

Creative Artists Agency, a talent group representing numerous A-list stars, also criticized the feature. In a statement shared with Variety, the agency said:

"No one's name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent. True innovation puts creators first: respecting their rights, protecting their livelihoods, and giving them real control, not handing it over to platforms."

Broader AI Tensions in Entertainment

AI has become a source of tension for entertainers, many of whom worry it will be used to steal their likeness, voices, or iconic phrases without consent. Celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey and Jeremy Clarkson have registered trademarks to protect their likeness from AI.

Meta is not alone in facing such backlash. OpenAI also drew criticism after releasing Sora 2, an AI video-generation platform, in 2025. The platform initially allowed users to create content featuring trademarked characters, drawing ire from entertainment companies including Studio Ghibli. Although OpenAI secured a partnership with Disney to legally use those characters, Sora 2 shut down in March.