Meta removes controversial Instagram AI photo tool after public backlash

Meta has pulled a controversial AI feature for Instagram just three days after rolling it out.

The feature, quietly switched on July 7, let anyone @-mention a public Instagram account inside a Meta AI prompt and scrape that account's photos, videos and even profile picture to generate AI iterations using the person's likeness - with no consent request and no notification to the account owner.

A huge public backlash followed immediately. Users and organizations including SAG-AFTRA and the Electronic Frontier Foundation pushed back hard, and on July 10 Meta reversed course, admitting it had "missed the mark."

The episode is a reminder of two things: collective pushback works, and default-on AI features that use your likeness are likely to keep appearing - so it pays to stay vigilant about new settings on your accounts.