Meta’s New AI Tool Sparks Privacy Backlash Over User Image Scraping

The tool allows users to generate visuals through simple prompts, including modifying existing photos or creating new ones. However, the system permits users to mention other accounts in their prompts, effectively pulling those individuals into the generated output. Critics warn this feature risks widespread unauthorized use of personal images, as the default setting enables this functionality for any public account unless the owner manually intervenes.

Opting out requires navigating through layered menus in the Instagram app, specifically under the 'Sharing and reuse' tab to toggle off permissions for posts and reels. JB Branch, director of federal AI governance and technology policy at Public Citizen, criticized the design as a deliberate hurdle. He argued that Meta continues to prioritize its AI ambitions over meaningful user consent, noting that turning a person's face into an AI experiment without explicit permission crosses a significant ethical boundary. Branch called on Congress to establish strict protections requiring affirmative consent before a person’s likeness can be utilized for AI products.