Meta's Muse Image lets anyone generate AI images from your public Instagram photos

Meta has quietly introduced a default-on setting most users never asked for - and opting out is now up to you.

Buried in the July 7 launch announcement for Meta's Muse Image model is a setting with a big implication: anyone can @-mention a public Instagram account inside a Meta AI prompt, and Muse Image will pull that account's public photos as visual references to generate new images.

There is no consent request and no notification to the account owner. Public Instagram profiles are automatically opted in as source material for generative AI remixes - all someone has to do is tag your public profile in a prompt to produce an image using your likeness.

Meta's own help page states plainly: "You will not be notified about content created using AI features at Meta."

The contrast with parts of Europe is stark: Denmark has moved toward giving people legal protection over their own likeness as intellectual property, something the US and many other countries have yet to match. Until then, checking your AI-related settings on Meta's platforms is worth the few minutes it takes.