Meta Pulls AI Tool That Let Users Create Deepfakes From Public Instagram Accounts

Meta has quietly pulled the plug on a controversial Instagram feature that allowed users to generate AI images using content from any public account simply by tagging it. The tool, launched earlier this week, sparked immediate backlash because it let people create deepfakes without the account owner’s permission.

The company acknowledged the misstep in an update to a blog post about its Muse AI model. “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 wrote. “We’ve heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it’s no longer available.” While Meta did offer an opt-out buried in settings before disabling the feature entirely, critics say the damage was already done.

Haley McNamara, executive director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, warned the tool was ripe for abuse. “Not only does this obviously erode our rights to our own likeness… but it is an obvious tool for sextortion and other scammers,” she said. The Screen Actors Guild also urged members to opt out, providing step-by-step instructions. Meta’s swift reversal underscores the growing tension between AI innovation and user privacy.