‘Did not meet expectations’: Meta removes AI image feature from Instagram after privacy backlash

The company said it had introduced the tool to give people a creative way to use public content while allowing users to control whether their posts could be referenced.

Written by: Analiza Pathak Edited by: Analiza Pathak

Updated: July 11, 2026, 10:48 AM IST

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https://www.india.com/technology/did-not-meet-expectations-meta-removes-ai-image-feature-from-instagram-after-privacy-backlash-outrage-8470948/ Copy

Meta has removed a new AI feature that allowed users to create images of people with public Instagram accounts after it faced strong criticism over privacy concerns. The feature, part of Meta’s AI image generation tool called Muse Image, had gone viral earlier this week. It allowed anyone to generate AI images of public Instagram users simply by mentioning their account in a prompt. The feature quickly sparked backlash, with many people raising concerns about how their photos and identity could be used without their permission.

In a blog post published on Friday, Meta said it has suspended the feature. The company said it had introduced the tool to give people a creative way to use public content while allowing users to control whether their posts could be referenced.

However, Meta admitted that the feature did not meet users’ expectations. “We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available,” the company said.

Although this option has been removed, Meta confirmed that the Muse Image tool will continue to be available for creating AI-generated images.

Why did Meta remove the feature?

One of the biggest concerns was that the feature was automatically turned on for all public Instagram accounts. This meant anyone with a public profile could have AI-generated images created using their account unless they manually changed their privacy settings to opt out.

Meta also did not inform users when someone used their Instagram account to generate an AI image. This raised privacy concerns, as many feared the feature could be misused to create images without a person’s knowledge or permission.

Private Instagram accounts and users under the age of 18 were not included in the feature.

After removing the tool, Meta AI no longer allows users to generate images by tagging another person’s Instagram account. If someone now tries to do so, the chatbot refuses the request.

The company has also removed the setting called “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta” from public Instagram accounts.