Meta's Muse Image faces privacy scrutiny as AI tool uses public Instagram photos

The feature is enabled by default, meaning public Instagram content can be used by Meta AI unless users manually opt out through their account settings.Meta's newly launched AI-powered image generation tool, Muse Image, has come under scrutiny over privacy concerns after it emerged that the feature can generate images using photos from users' public Instagram accounts without requiring explicit consent, according to a report by ETTech.Developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs, Muse Image enables users to create or edit images using text prompts and sketches.

The feature is currently available free of charge in the United States through the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories and WhatsApp.However, the rollout has triggered criticism after users discovered that the tool can generate AI images based on another person's public Instagram posts and Reels simply by referencing their Instagram handle in a prompt.The feature is enabled by default, meaning public Instagram content can be used by Meta AI unless users manually opt out through their account settings.Users can disable the feature by navigating to Instagram's Sharing and reuse settings and turning off the option that allows people to use their content with AI features on Meta.

However, doing so also disables content reuse features such as Instagram Remixes, potentially affecting creators who rely on them to improve engagement and reach.The feature has also drawn the attention of the Indian government.Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan said the Centre will examine whether Muse Image complies with India's legal framework following concerns around privacy, consent and the use of publicly available photographs to create AI-generated content.The development comes as technology companies increasingly integrate generative AI capabilities into social media platforms, allowing users to generate text, images and videos using artificial intelligence.Privacy advocates have argued that while the use of publicly available content may be permitted under platform policies, users should be given greater transparency and meaningful control over how their data and images are used to train or power AI systems.