Meta has abruptly abandoned a feature that allowed users to generate AI images using other people's public photos without notifying them. The feature, launched on July 7, was available in the UK via the Meta AI app and web browser, and on WhatsApp and Instagram for US users. It faced immediate backlash after it emerged that users had to opt out to prevent their public photos from being used in AI-generated mixes. Additionally, users were not notified when their photos were used, raising concerns about manipulation without consent.
Feature Removed After Three Days
On July 10, just three days after launch, Meta admitted the feature 'missed the mark' and removed it from its apps. In a statement, Meta said: 'Earlier this week, we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by @-mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. 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. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available.'
How the Feature Worked
This was Meta's first image generation model, marketed as a fun way to create fake photos featuring real people. All public accounts could be used in generative AI remixes: users could tag an account's profile in a prompt, and Meta AI would generate an image. Public bodies such as the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) highlighted the 'obvious dangers and harms inherent' in the feature.
Privacy Concerns Raised
Digital rights campaigners also criticised the tool. A spokesperson for Open Rights Group told Metro: 'At the very least, such a feature should not be switched on by default but only activated when Meta users choose to opt in. Instead, people have to opt out.' Online safety campaigner Adele Zeynep Walton agreed that opt-out models do not go far enough to keep users safe. She told Metro: 'This feature raises serious questions about consent, privacy and property theft. A photograph is not just an image; it is personal data, and people should have meaningful control over how their likeness is used, processed and repurposed by AI.'
Industry Reaction
Following Meta's decision to remove the feature, SAG-AFTRA said: 'With the dangers of nonconsensual digital replicas well known to all, a feature that encouraged that behavior is unwise. We appreciate its discontinuance. It is the responsible thing to do.' Meta was approached for comment but did not respond.
