Meta pulls a newly launched AI image-generation feature from Instagram after widespread criticism over how it uses users’ content. The tool, introduced earlier this week, lets users generate AI images by referencing public Instagram posts and reels. Multiple outlets report that the backlash centers on privacy concerns, including allegations that people’s publicly available images could be used without sufficient awareness or control.
Several sources say the feature was online for only a few days, with Meta removing it by late Friday after the initial rollout earlier in the week. Meta attributes the change to user feedback, saying its intent was to provide a creative tool while giving people control over whether their public content could be referenced. Meta says it has heard that the feature “missed the mark” and therefore is no longer available.
The reporting also notes that criticism came from a wide range of voices, including public users and industry figures. Across outlets, the shared points are that the feature used public Instagram content, it faced rapid privacy-related backlash, and Meta discontinued it shortly after launch.
