Meta Pulls Muse Image Feature After AI Photo Tool Sparks Consent Backlash

Meta has withdrawn its Muse Image feature days after launching it, following criticism that the AI tool allowed users to generate images using public Instagram photos without a clear opt-in process.

The company acknowledged the backlash in a statement Friday, saying the feature had “missed the mark” despite its intention to give users control over whether their public content could be referenced for AI-generated images.

The reversal came during one of Meta’s most active weeks for artificial intelligence, with the company unveiling new AI models, outlining plans for its first in-house AI chip and expanding its long-term computing ambitions. It also illustrates how consumer-facing AI products are facing growing scrutiny over how publicly shared content is used.

Feature Allowed AI Images Based on Public Instagram Photos

Meta introduced Muse Image on Tuesday as its first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. It integrated the feature into the Meta AI chatbot across its consumer platforms.

The tool allowed users to generate AI images using public Instagram photos as visual references and edit the results through prompts, sketches and annotations. Meta said the feature was designed to give users control over whether their public content could be referenced in that way.

Criticism quickly centered on the feature’s default settings, with users arguing it relied on an automatic opt-in rather than requiring people to explicitly authorize the use of their public photos.

Meta Reversed Course Within Days

Public criticism intensified throughout the week after users began sharing screenshots of the feature online. Actress Hannah Einbinder urged Instagram users to disable the setting, while SAG-AFTRA called on members to opt out, arguing that AI features involving users’ images should require clear and conspicuous consent.

In announcing the decision to discontinue the feature, Meta said it had listened to user feedback.

“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” the company said.

“We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.”

Following Meta’s announcement, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the decision, calling the feature’s removal “the responsible thing to do” given concerns over nonconsensual digital replicas.

AI Expansion Continues Across Meta

The product reversal did not alter Meta’s broader AI strategy, which has accelerated in recent weeks.

The company introduced Muse Spark 1.1, its first paid frontier AI model for agentic coding and workflow automation, and disclosed plans to begin manufacturing its in-house AI chip, code-named Iris, later this year. Meta is also investing heavily in computing infrastructure as it expands its AI capabilities across consumer products and enterprise services.

The company’s shares climbed over the past week as investors responded positively to its AI roadmap and infrastructure plans despite the withdrawal of the Muse Image feature.

Consumer Consent Moves to the Center of AI Design

The episode reflects a broader challenge facing AI developers as image-generation tools become more sophisticated and more widely available.

While companies continue to compete on model performance and new features, consumer-facing products increasingly depend on how clearly users understand, and control, the ways their publicly shared content can be incorporated into AI systems.

Meta’s decision to withdraw the feature within days of its launch suggests those questions are becoming product decisions as much as technical ones.