Meta removes AI photo-editing feature from Instagram after backlash
Original: Meta removes controversial AI feature on Instagram after backlash
Why This Matters
Highlights growing tension between AI creative tools and user consent on major social platforms.
Meta has removed a feature from its Muse Image AI tool that allowed users to generate images by referencing public Instagram accounts. The feature, launched earlier this week, drew immediate criticism for lacking notification for users whose photos were used, prompting Meta to pull it on July 10, 2026.
Meta has removed a controversial AI feature from Instagram that allowed users to modify or generate images by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts. The feature was part of Muse Image, a new AI image generator developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, which was announced earlier this week alongside other AI tools.
The feature did not notify users when their public photos were referenced, sparking immediate backlash from users and talent agencies, including CAA. TechCrunch published a guide helping users disable the feature after concerns were raised.
On Friday, Meta published a blog post announcing the removal. "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 wrote. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available."
Puck News founding partner Dylan Byers was the first to report the reversal. The episode reflects broader ongoing concerns about AI being misused on social media platforms to generate unauthorized or inappropriate imagery, particularly of public figures. Meta has not responded to TechCrunch's request for additional comment.