You Can Now Make AI Content Using Public Instagram Accounts—And It’s Rattling Hollywood And Cybersecurity Experts
Publish Date: 2026-07-10 10:49:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. ToplineMajor Hollywood unions and talent agencies are urging the celebrities they represent to opt out of a controversial new feature on Instagram that allows users to create AI images based on posts by public accounts, while some cybersecurity companies are raising privacy concerns.Meta unveiled its Muse Image tool for Instagram earlier this week. (Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesKey FactsInstagram has faced backlash this week over Muse Image, an AI image generation tool it unveiled that allows users to create AI content based on images posted by public accounts, who are not notified when their posts are used for image generation.Among the feature’s most controversial quirks is that it automatically opts users with public accounts into the program, meaning users have to manually opt out in their settings if they don’t want their photos used for AI image generation.Meta, in response to backlash, has clarified users under 18 were automatically opted out of the feature and that it will “take action” against any content that violates its community standards.The feature, though, has rattled users and cybersecurity experts who consider it a privacy violation, as well as Hollywood, which has already been grappling with the threat of AI using celebrities’ likenesses without consent.Forbes has reached out to Meta for comment. How Has Hollywood Responded To Instagram’s Muse Image Tool?SAG-AFTRA, a major Hollywood union that represents more than 160,000 actors and entertainment industry professionals, urged its members to opt out of the Muse Image tool in a statement late Thursday. “Meta now lets anyone use your Instagram photos in AI images without your consent,” the union warned, urging members to opt out to “protect your likeness.” SAG-AFTRA has already been forced to confront AI, which was a major sticking point in its 2023 strike. Earlier this year, the union ratified a contract that restricts the use of AI-generated performers unless they bring “significant additional value.” Creative Arts Agency, one of the largest Hollywood talent agencies, urged Meta to make the feature opt-in, not opt-out, in a statement earlier this week. “Artists deserve to decide if and how their likeness and work is used,” the agency said, calling on Meta to let creators “impose restrictions, monitor usage, and prevent unauthorized endorsements or exploitation.” A growing number of celebrities, including Matthew McConaughey and Taylor Swift, have filed trademarks to protect their likenesses from AI misuse.How Have Cybersecurity Companies Reacted To Muse Image?Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity software company, warned in a blog post the tool could be used for “impersonation, scams, or other abuse,” and that it could make “phishing and fraud” easier for cybercriminals. “You’d hope that Meta would tell you up front with a big, bold ‘Turn this off if you don’t want it’ message when you open Instagram, but no such luck,” the blog post says, noting finding the opt-out switch “is its own adventure.” A blog post by cybersecurity company Proton suggested the feature is a “major privacy concern,” saying the opt-out selection is “buried deep in settings.” Thorin Klosowski, senior security and privacy activist at Electronic Frontier Foundation, told The Guardian the setting should “absolutely be opt-in for Instagram users,” saying AI image generation “certainly wasn’t on anyone’s mind when they signed up for Instagram years ago.”How Can Instagram Users Opt Out Of Muse Image?TitleTo opt out of Muse Image, users must go into their Instagram settings and select “sharing and reuse.” There, users can select whether or not they want to consent to people using their posts or reels in Meta’s AI tools. Users can also protect their posts from the Muse Image feature by making their Instagram account private. What Has Meta Said About Muse Image?In a blog post earlier this week, Meta said the Muse Image tool can blend “multiple photos into high-quality creations” and understand complex prompts, with users able to share creations to their stories or feeds. Meta also announced new AI features for Instagram Stories and image generation on WhatsApp. tangentMeta has recently made an effort to ramp up its AI capabilities, announcing a new version of its Muse Spark AI model on Thursday. Meta’s AI chief Alexandr Wang called Muse Spark 1.1 the company’s “strongest model for agentic and coding work yet,” claiming the model outperforms rivals on certain tasks, like interacting with third-party coding services. Meta also announced this week it would build its first AI data center in Canada, which will cost $9 billion and take at least two years to build. That would be Meta’s 33rd data center overall, CNBC reported. further readingInstagram users: Here’s how to stop Meta’s AI from using your photos (Tech Crunch)Meta is building its first big Canadian data center as AI expansion crosses the border (CNBC)
