Meta has launched a new artificial intelligence tool called Muse Image that creates pictures by pulling faces from public Instagram posts, without notifying the users whose images are used. The feature is available through Meta AI on the web, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and is turned on by default, prompting backlash from privacy advocates and users alike.
How Muse Image Works
Muse Image generates images from text prompts, but it can also tag public Instagram profiles and use faces from their posts as source material. According to Meta, this is its “most advanced image generation model yet.” However, users are not informed when their photos are used, and the feature is automatically enabled unless manually disabled.
Privacy Concerns and Criticism
Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes warned in a July 9 blog post that switching Instagram accounts to private is the simplest way to prevent image scraping, calling it “a blunt solution, but it prevents strangers from using your public profile as source material.” For those who wish to keep their profiles public, more complex steps are required in the app's settings.
Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, told the BBC that the tool is an “obvious recipe for disaster.” He added, “We’ve already seen a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year. It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea.”
Privacy International also criticized the feature, stating to the BBC that it is “the latest sign AI companies see people’s images and data as raw material to be exploited.”
How to Opt Out
To disable Muse Image for a public Instagram account, users must navigate to their profile, tap the three lines in the top right corner, scroll down to the “Sharing and reuse” tab, and under “Allow people to share your posts and reel,” turn off both “Posts and reels to stories” and “Reposts on posts and reels.” Then, under “Allow people to reuse your content on Instagram and with AI features at Meta,” turn off both “Posts” and “Reels.”
User Reactions
Instagram users have expressed outrage on social media. One user wrote, “Features like this just shouldn’t be enabled by default.” Another said, “This shouldn’t be a feature at all in the first place.” A third commented, “If a feature requires harvesting my identity, it should never start as a ‘yes.'”
Technology privacy organizations and cybersecurity experts continue to urge Meta to adopt an opt-in approach for AI features that use personal data, emphasizing that default activation undermines user consent and privacy.
