Meta has removed a controversial Instagram photo-tagging feature from its new Muse Image AI tool just days after launch, after criticism that it let users generate images based on public Instagram accounts without clear consent. The company said the feature was “no longer available” and acknowledged that it had “missed the mark”.
The backlash came as Meta also unveiled Muse Spark 1.1, a multimodal AI model it opened to developers through a new Meta Model API. Reuters reported that the model is available in Thinking mode in the Meta AI app and website, and that developers in the United States can access it in public preview with free credits before pay-as-you-go pricing starts.
The launch positions Meta more directly against OpenAI and Anthropic in paid AI services.
Why backlash built quickly
Muse Image was introduced on July 7 as Meta’s first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs and was integrated into the Meta AI chatbot, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp.
The disputed feature let people tag a public Instagram account and use those photos as inputs for AI-generated images, while Meta said private accounts and users under 18 were excluded.
The rollout triggered pushback from privacy advocates, performers and talent groups, who said the system effectively made consent optional rather than required.
SAG-AFTRA urged members to opt out, while CAA said protection should be the default and not left to users to find in settings. Reports also said the feature raised fears about misuse of public likenesses and the creation of AI-generated images that people had not agreed to.
Company response and opt-out
Meta said users could opt out through Instagram settings and said it had built Muse Image with “strong controls and safety guardrails from day one”. The company also said it would take action against any content that violated its Community Standards.
Still, critics said the opt-out design was too buried and that many users would not realize their public photos could be used in AI generation until after the fact.
What remains in place
Meta’s broader Muse Image rollout is still moving ahead, including AI effects for Instagram Stories and image generation in direct chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp. The removal appears limited to the photo-tagging function, not the core image-generation product.
Reuters reported that the company planned to expand the tool to more countries and later bring it to Facebook and Messenger as well.
Implications for users and creators
The episode underscores the tension between AI product expansion and consent in public-facing platforms, especially when user photos and likenesses are involved.
For creators, performers and ordinary Instagram users, the immediate issue is not whether AI tools will exist, but whether platforms make permission the default before using personal content. Meta’s quick reversal shows that even major AI launches can be forced to change course when privacy concerns become the lead story.
