Meta’s rapid rollback of the feature that let Muse Image use public Instagram content by default is an early stress test of these tools. It shows there is real public and regulatory sensitivity to how people’s images are used, even when they are technically “public”.

For advertisers, this emphasises that AI training data and personal likenesses should not be treated as free raw material. As these tools move into the ad stack, brands will need explicit consent, transparent disclosures, and strong governance to avoid reputational, legal and ethical risk. Meta’s reversal is a reminder that these safeguards need to be in place before AI-generated creative becomes standard across its platforms.

Meta has discontinued an AI feature that let users generate images using public Instagram accounts after privacy criticism.

The tool, part of Meta’s Muse Image model in its Meta AI chatbot, was criticised for being automatically enabled. Actor Hannah Einbinder and SAG-AFTRA urged users to opt out, warning against non-consensual digital replicas.

Meta said the feature had “missed the mark” and was no longer available. SAG-AFTRA welcomed the reversal, saying clearer consent is needed when AI tools use people’s publicly shared content.