The controversial feature, called "Muse Image," allowed anyone on Instagram to generate AI-created deepfake images simply by tagging (@) any public account. The system could then pull photos and posts from that user's profile to create new images resembling them without obtaining their prior consent.
Meta said the feature was designed to help users create personalized event invitations and custom artwork. However, critics argued that it enabled the use of other people's images without their permission.
The controversy was further fueled by the fact that the feature operated on an opt-out basis. This meant that if users did not want others to use their photos to generate AI-created content, they had to dig through their account settings to disable the option allowing others to reuse their content or make their account private instead of public. In other words, Meta placed the responsibility for protecting users' content on the users themselves, rather than requiring explicit consent before their images could be used.