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Meta Withdraws Opt-Out Image Tool After Union Pushback
Meta ended the Muse Image AI tool on Friday after users over 18 with public Instagram accounts had to manually opt out. The feature let people generate and edit images based on tagged public accounts.
Jul 11, 11:37 AM·1m read4 sources
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Meta discontinued the Muse Image AI feature on Friday, July 10, 2026, three days after its launch. The company said it had heard feedback that the feature missed the mark. Muse Image AI was developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and integrated into the Meta AI chatbot.
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It allowed users to generate and manipulate images of individuals by tagging public Instagram accounts, use photos as input, and edit results through sketches. The tool applied automatically to public accounts of users over age 18, with those users required to opt out manually in settings. Accounts of minors and private accounts were opted out by default.
Creative Artists Agency issued a statement on July 8 calling for automatic opt-out of AI tools. The agency stated that no one’s name, image, likeness, voice or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent. SAG-AFTRA urged members and the public on July 9 to opt out of the feature.
The union stated that anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in was unacceptable. A video posted by content creator Barrett Pall on how to opt out received more than 1.5 million views on Instagram Reels. Emmy-nominated actor Hannah Einbinder posted content criticizing the tool.
After the discontinuation, SAG-AFTRA stated that with the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known, a feature that encouraged that behavior was unwise and that Meta’s move was the responsible thing to do. Meta said its intent had been to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced.
