Meta scraps AI image feature after privacy backlash

Meta has announced plans to abruptly take down an AI image generation feature on Instagram that allows the users to use the pictures from public accounts.

The scrapping of the feature, which was a part of the broad rollout of Muse Image, stems from the backlash surrounding the erosion of privacy concerns. Even the Hollywood union opposed the features and cited serious privacy implications.

Emmy-winning actor Hannah Einbinder publicly criticized the feature, noting it was turned on by default and urging users to disable it.

What’s worrisome about the feature is that the users can utilize the Meta AI chatbot to tag public Instagram profiles and rapidly repurpose their content for AI-generated or modified images.

To deal with the backlash, Meta has decided to make this feature unavailable for the people that could use one’s public Instagram account as a fodder by default.

"Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public ​content could be referenced in this way," Meta said in a statement.

"We've ​heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available," it added.

The decision to remove the highly controversial feature has been welcomed by the Hollywood Union, calling this u-turn as a “major win.” SAG-AFTRA, the ⁠union representing actors and other media professionals, also welcomed this discontinuation, stating, “"With the dangers of non-consensual digital ​replicas well ⁠known to all, a feature that encouraged that behaviour is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.”

The situation also shed light on growing pressure on technology companies to provide users with transparent control and consent regarding their privacy and personal information.