Public Instagram Profiles Become AI References
Meta is facing criticism from privacy advocates after launching Muse Image, a new AI image generator that can use public Instagram profiles as reference material by default. The tool, released Tuesday, allows users to tag public profiles and generate images that draw from faces appearing in those social media posts.
Users Are Not Automatically Notified
Instagram users are not notified when their public posts are used as part of prompts in Muse Image, which Meta has described as its “most advanced image generation model yet”. The feature has raised concerns because people with public accounts may not realize their photos can be reused in AI generated images unless they change their settings.
Private Accounts Offer the Broadest Protection
For users who want the simplest way to stop their images from being used, switching a public Instagram account to private is the most complete option. Malwarebytes described this as “a blunt solution, but it prevents strangers from using your public profile as source material” in a 9 July blogpost.
Meta Says Safeguards Are Built In
A Meta spokesperson said Muse Image was developed “with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one”. The company said private accounts and accounts belonging to users under 18 are automatically excluded. It also said adults with public profiles can opt out through controls and that Meta will “take action against any content that violates [their] community standards”.
How Users Can Opt Out
Meta directs Instagram users who want to prevent their photos from being used by Muse Image to the “sharing and reuse” section of settings. From there, users must toggle off the option that allows others to reuse their content.
Privacy Groups Criticize the Default Setting
Privacy advocates argue that Meta should not require users to search for a setting to stop this kind of reuse. Malwarebytes writer Danny Bradbury said “finding the setting is its own adventure”. Proton, a privacy focused company, said data sharing is enabled by default, the opt out is buried in settings and public criticism often becomes the way users discover what happened to their content.
Concerns Over Children in Public Photos
Meta says Muse Image users cannot tag accounts belonging to people under 18 and that teens cannot use the feature to tag or reference other accounts. However, the company has not clarified whether children who appear in photos posted by adults with public accounts could still be used in AI prompts. Proton warned that children shown in public images could have their faces appropriated.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Calls for Opt In
Thorin Klosowski, senior security and privacy activist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said: “This is the sort of setting that should absolutely be opt-in for Instagram users.” He added that this is a new use of photos people may have posted publicly years ago, long before AI image generation became part of the platform experience.
Meta Presents Everyday Use Cases
Meta’s promotional examples for Muse Image focus on light consumer uses. The company described prompts involving women’s summer 2026 fashion, shoppable linen dresses, clearing up a foggy landscape image and turning purple flower petals into a rainbow gradient.
More Advanced Image Composition
The tool can also combine several reference images within a single prompt. Meta said Muse Image can compose people, objects, clothing, styles and environments from multiple input images, allowing users to create highly specific outputs.
Personalization Raises Misuse Questions
Privacy advocates say the same features that make Muse Image more personal could create risks when used on someone else’s public profile. Malwarebytes noted that the feature may seem fun when users create images of themselves, but becomes less appealing when strangers can do the same with another person’s account.
Reporting and Moderation Tools
Meta says Muse Image includes protections intended to block content that violates its policies. Users who see an AI generated image they find objectionable can report it by pressing and holding the image and selecting a “thumbs down” option.
Where Muse Image Is Available
Muse Image is currently available in the Meta AI app, Instagram Stories in the United States and WhatsApp in limited countries. Meta is already planning to expand the image generator to Facebook and to offer similar video capabilities for creators and Meta AI.
