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Meta launched an Instagram AI capability powered by its Muse Image model that let users generate images from text prompts, uploaded photos, and references to public Instagram accounts, including posts and Reels invoked through @ mentions. The feature was made available through Meta AI surfaces including the web, iOS and Android apps, and chats in Instagram and WhatsApp, as part of a broader push of AI creative tools and Story effects.
Meta then removed the public-account image reference feature after backlash over privacy and misuse risks, saying public feedback showed it had "missed the mark." Critics warned that public Instagram content could be repurposed into misleading or unflattering images without meaningful consent, and SAG-AFTRA urged members to opt out; researcher Neal K. Shah also cited scam ads allegedly using his likeness. Meta said users had controls in Instagram's Sharing and reuse settings to limit reuse of Posts, Reels, and original audio, and it kept the rest of its AI creative features online while discontinuing only the public-account reuse function.
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Meta shut down the newly launched capability that let users generate images by referencing public Instagram accounts through @-mentions after criticism over privacy and misuse concerns. The company said public feedback showed the feature had "missed the mark," while leaving other new AI creative tools in place.
Meta introduced the Muse Image feature, which could generate images from text prompts, uploaded photos, and content from public Instagram accounts, including posts and Reels. The capability was made available through Meta AI on the web, mobile apps, and chats in Instagram and WhatsApp, with additional support planned for Facebook and Messenger.
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Meta launched **Muse Image**, an AI image-generation feature linked to public Instagram accounts that lets users create synthetic images of a person by entering that person’s Instagram handle. Reporting says the setting is enabled by default for public profiles, affected users are not notified when their likeness is used, and opting out only stops future use rather than removing images already generated and shared. Privacy and security researchers warned the feature lowers the barrier to **deepfakes, impersonation, phishing, identity fraud, and scam activity** by turning public profile photos into ready-made source material for abuse. The criticism builds on broader concerns about Meta’s AI and identity controls, including prior scrutiny of its opt-out approach to AI data use in Europe and references to an earlier alleged flaw in a Meta AI support chatbot that could permit account changes without strong identity verification.
Jul 18, 2026
Meta is facing renewed scrutiny after the Tech Transparency Project reported that more than **7,500 ads** for AI-powered “nudify” services appeared on **Facebook** and **Instagram**, despite platform rules banning sexually exploitative content. The ads promoted tools that digitally remove clothing from images of women, raising concerns about AI-enabled sexual abuse and failures in ad moderation across Meta’s platforms. The report said the ad surge was tied to **GatherOne**, a Chinese advertising partner that may spend more than **$70 million annually** on Meta ads. Researchers also said one promoted app had previously been linked to **child sexual abuse material**. Meta said it takes aggressive action against nudify apps and can remove ads, impose financial penalties, or suspend advertiser accounts, but the findings are likely to intensify regulatory and public pressure over how the company handles abusive AI content and high-spending advertisers.
Aug 5, 2026
Meta disclosed a set of new **platform safety and enforcement actions** aimed at reducing harm and abuse on its services. The company filed multiple lawsuits against alleged scam-ad operators in **Brazil, China, Vietnam** and elsewhere, describing tactics including **deepfakes/celebrity impersonation**, “celeb-bait” investment lures, and **cloaking** used to evade ad review; Meta said it also took technical steps such as disabling accounts, suspending scam-linked payment methods, and blocking associated domains, and shared information with industry partners to help them block the same actors. Separately, Meta announced new **Instagram parental-supervision alerts** that notify parents when a teen repeatedly searches for **self-harm or suicide-related terms** within a short time window (initially for supervised accounts in the **U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada**), and said it is developing similar notifications for teens’ **AI-related conversations** about self-harm. In parallel regulatory developments, EU lawmakers advanced a non-binding opinion supporting **privacy-friendly age verification** and proposing restrictions that would require **parental consent for under-16s** and bar access for children under 13, positioning these measures for potential inclusion in a future **Digital Fairness Act** focused on child protection online, targeted advertising, and addictive design patterns.
Jun 29, 2026