Meta has rolled out a new artificial intelligence image generator called Muse Image across Instagram, and users are raising privacy concerns over the feature. Several users have claimed they were automatically enrolled without their consent, prompting many to urge others to review their Instagram settings immediately.
The new tool allows users to generate AI images by referencing public Instagram accounts. However, Meta has automatically enabled the feature for eligible public accounts by default instead of asking users to opt in first.
Instagram users react to automatic opt-in
Popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee highlighted the rollout on social media, pointing out that Instagram had enabled the feature for every public account by default rather than allowing users to switch it on themselves.
The rollout sparked criticism online. One user, posting as Aravind, claimed the feature could allow anyone to recreate another person’s appearance using AI and urged people to stop using Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Privacy advocates have also criticised Meta’s approach. Thorin Klosowski, senior security and privacy activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told The Guardian that such a feature should have been opt-in because it introduces a completely new use for photos that users uploaded years ago without anticipating AI-generated recreations.
A blog post by cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes noted that while Meta promotes Muse Image as a way to personalise AI image generation using public Instagram accounts, the feature becomes far more controversial when it is used to generate images of other people rather than oneself.
Some users have also reported that the setting re-enables itself even after being switched off manually. In a screen recording shared on X, one user alleged that the toggle repeatedly turned itself back on and claimed the only reliable way to prevent their content from being used was to make their Instagram account private.
What is Muse Image?
Muse Image allows users to reference public Instagram accounts directly in AI prompts to generate new visuals inspired by another person’s photos.
According to Meta, the feature has been built with safety guardrails. The company says private accounts and accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 are excluded automatically, while adults with public accounts can opt out through the app’s settings.
Meta’s promotional material showcases relatively harmless uses of the tool, including exploring fashion inspiration, identifying shoppable clothing, enhancing landscape photos and changing colours in images. More advanced demonstrations show the AI combining multiple references, such as a person, a bicycle model and a visual style, into a single AI-generated image.
The company also says users can report AI-generated images that violate its policies by pressing and holding the image and selecting the thumbs-down option.
Muse Image is currently available through the Meta AI app and Instagram Stories in the United States, while WhatsApp access has been introduced in a limited number of countries. Meta plans to expand the feature to Facebook and introduce AI-powered video generation in the future.
How to opt out of Muse Image on Instagram
If you have a public Instagram account and do not want your content to be used with Meta’s AI image tool, follow these steps:
Alternatively, switching your Instagram account to Privatewill automatically exclude your content from Muse Image, as the feature only works with public accounts.
As some users have claimed the setting may switch back on automatically, privacy experts recommend checking the toggle periodically to ensure your preferences remain unchanged.
