Meta has rolled out a new artificial intelligence image model that allows users to generate images using photos from public Instagram accounts by default, prompting fresh concerns over privacy and consent on social platforms. The model, called Muse Image, is developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and is integrated directly into the Meta AI app, Instagram and other Meta products as part of the company’s generative AI push.
However, for users who wish to remain public for reach and engagement reasons, the only option to avoid being included in Muse Image’s default pool is to manually opt out through the app-level controls. The rollout has sparked backlash from privacy advocates and users who argue that a feature with such implications for identity and likeness should be opt-in rather than opt-out.
Meta says, anyone can tag a public Instagram account in a prompt and ask Meta’s AI to generate a new image that draws on that account’s public photos, including profile pictures, posts and reels. Public profiles are automatically opted in, meaning their content can be used for AI-generated visuals unless users manually change a setting buried inside the Instagram app.
The feature has been likened to enabling “deepfake-like” content because it allows realistic images of a person to be generated without their explicit, per-use approval, and without any automatic notification that their content is being reused. Reports note that Muse Image is accessible via the Meta AI app and web interface, as well as within WhatsApp and Instagram Stories in the United States, with plans to expand to Facebook, Messenger and advertising tools.
To restrict this reuse, Instagram has added controls under a new “Sharing and reuse” section in its settings menu, but they are disabled only if users take action. Users must open the Instagram app, go to their profile, tap the three-line menu icon, navigate to “Sharing and reuse,” and switch off the option labeled “Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta,” which includes separate toggles for posts and reels. A switch in the on position indicates the feature is active, while switching it off prevents future AI generations using that content, though it does not retroactively delete images already created with a user’s photos.
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