# Meta pulls plug on controversial AI access to photos on public Instagram pages after backlash > Source: > Published: 2026-07-11 17:38:55+00:00 # Meta pulls plug on controversial AI access to photos on public Instagram pages after backlash ‘We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available’ - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments [Meta](/topic/meta) has swiftly withdrawn a controversial [AI](/topic/ai) image generation feature, Muse Image, just days after its launch, following widespread criticism over its use of public Instagram accounts as fodder for AI-generated visuals. The move on Friday came less than a week after the parent company of Instagram and Facebook rolled out the tool, its first image-generation model available through the company’s artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI. Unlike other AI apps that create images based on user suggestions, Muse Image automatically made [photos](/topic/photos) posted on all public Instagram accounts usable by the AI tool as a reference when creating new images. This sparked immediate privacy concerns. "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," Meta said in a statement. "We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available." The feature's rollout led to a flurry of social media posts flagging privacy concerns and instructing Instagram users how to opt out. Hollywood also quickly raised concerns, with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) urging its members to change Instagram settings to protect their likeness. In a statement on X, SAG-AFTRA applauded Meta’s decision to shut off the feature. "With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise," the union said. "We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the right thing to do." ## Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies [Comments](#comments-area)