Meta has abruptly discontinued its newly launched "Muse Image" feature just days after its release, following swift and widespread criticism over privacy and consent. The tool, integrated into Meta's AI chatbot, allowed users to generate AI-created images of people simply by tagging — or "@ mentioning" — public Instagram accounts, automatically enrolling all public-account holders without their explicit permission. "We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," Meta said in a statement.

Muse Image had launched on Tuesday as the first image-generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs — the research division of Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Beyond the tagging function, the tool also allowed users to edit generated images through sketches and use existing photos as creative inputs. Meta had signalled plans to expand AI features to its other platforms, including WhatsApp and Messenger, and confirmed an AI video tool is also in development.

The backlash was rapid and came from multiple directions. Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder, known for the television series Hacks, criticised the feature publicly on Instagram, highlighting that it had been switched on automatically. SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood union representing actors and other media professionals, urged all Instagram users to opt out, calling the default opt-in "an utter miscalculation of public sentiment regarding the obvious dangers and harms inherent in such use." Privacy International, a London-based human rights charity, described the feature as "the latest sign AI companies see people's images and data as raw material to be exploited."

Following Meta's decision to pull the feature, SAG-AFTRA welcomed the reversal, calling it "the responsible thing to do" given what it described as well-known dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas. Meta maintained that its original intent was to offer a useful creative tool and to give users control over how their public content was referenced — though critics argued the default opt-in structure did the opposite.

The episode underscores a deepening tension between technology companies racing to deploy AI tools and growing public demand for meaningful consent. The speed of Meta's U-turn — reversing course within days of launch — signals that pressure from entertainment industry unions, civil society organisations, and ordinary users is increasingly capable of forcing rapid course corrections from even the largest platforms.