Meta halts Instagram AI image tool after privacy outcry

Meta withdrew an Instagram feature tied to its new Muse Image tool after a backlash over privacy and consent. The capability let users generate or alter images by referencing content from public Instagram accounts, a default opt-in that critics said enabled misuse of people’s likenesses without permission. Meta conceded it “missed the mark” and disabled the feature, while signaling continued investment in AI tools and planned integrations across WhatsApp, Facebook and Messenger, as well as an AI video product. The reversal highlights intensifying legal and reputational scrutiny of how social platforms deploy generative AI and handle personal data, with unions and privacy advocates pressing for stronger safeguards.

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