Meta has withdrawn Muse Image, its AI-powered image generation feature for Instagram, just days after launch following criticism over privacy and consent.

The feature, introduced on July 7, was Meta's first in-house image generation model developed by Meta Superintelligence Labs and integrated into the Meta AI chatbot. It allowed users to generate AI images based on photos from any public Instagram account by entering a username and editing the results with sketch-based prompts.

The rollout drew criticism after users noted the feature was enabled by default rather than requiring explicit consent. Privacy advocates and industry groups raised concerns that it could allow AI-generated likenesses of individuals to be created without their permission.

The criticism came from several quarters, including SAG-AFTRA, which said an opt-in system should have been implemented. Actor Hannah Einbinder urged users to disable the feature, while consumer advocacy group Public Citizen welcomed its removal. In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology indicated it would review the feature if a formal complaint was submitted.

Meta removed the feature on July 11. In a statement, the company said it had intended to provide users with a creative AI tool while offering control over the use of public content, but acknowledged it had "missed the mark."

The withdrawal comes as technology companies face increasing scrutiny over how generative AI systems use publicly available content. The episode adds to broader industry debates around consent, privacy and safeguards in AI-powered consumer products.