Meta has launched Muse Image, a new artificial intelligence image generation model, bringing fresh scrutiny to Instagram’s privacy controls after reports said public Instagram profiles may be used in AI image prompts unless users manually opt out.
The company announced Muse Image on July 7, 2026, describing it as the first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. The model is now available in Meta AI and powers new creative tools across Meta’s platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta said the tool can generate images from prompts, blend multiple photos, use presets, and allow users to sketch or annotate edits directly on images using Instagram profiles.
The most sensitive feature concerns Instagram profile mentions. Meta said users can @-mention Instagram accounts in the Meta AI app to bring specific Instagram profiles into image generation. According to Meta’s announcement, tagging a username allows Meta AI to use public photos to build a visual, while users are given a setting to turn the feature off.
The feature has triggered concern because public Instagram users may not expect their photos to be used by others for AI generated images. Reports by technology publications said public accounts are automatically included unless users disable the setting manually. Wired reported that a public Instagram profile can be tagged in a prompt and used by Meta AI to generate an image using that person’s likeness.
The Verge also reported that Muse Image allows users to @-mention other Instagram accounts in prompts, enabling the AI model to incorporate their likeness into output based on public photos. Meta has maintained that users can control how their content is reused for AI creation.
The development places Meta at the centre of a wider debate on consent in the age of generative AI. Public posting on a social media platform does not necessarily mean a user has consciously agreed to have their face, profile images or personal visual identity used in synthetic content created by strangers.
Privacy advocates are likely to view the default setting as the core issue. An opt-out model places the burden on users to discover the feature, understand its implications and change the setting. For ordinary users, especially teenagers, creators, journalists, public figures and women facing online harassment, the risk is not theoretical. AI generated images can be used for impersonation, ridicule, reputational harm, political manipulation, sexual harassment or fraud.
Meta has framed Muse Image as a creative tool. The company said the model can help users design event invitations, create collaborative concepts and produce personalized graphics. It also said Muse Image will power more than 30 AI effects for Instagram Stories and support image generation in direct chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp in limited countries before wider expansion.
Reuters reported that Muse Image is integrated into Meta AI and can interpret complex prompts, use photos as inputs and allow users to edit generated images through sketches or annotations. Meta also plans to expand the tool to more countries and integrate it with Facebook and Messenger.
The concern is not only about creativity but control. Once a person’s likeness is made available for AI generation by others, the boundary between public identity and synthetic representation becomes weaker. The difficulty of knowing whether one’s image has been used further complicates accountability.
How to Turn Off the Feature and Protect Your Instagram Profiles
Instagram users who do not want their public photos and Reels to be used by others in Meta AI image prompts should manually turn off the reuse setting inside the Instagram app.
Step 1: Open Instagram
Open the Instagram app on your phone and log in to the account you want to protect.
Step 2: Go to your profile
Tap your profile picture at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Open the menu
Tap the three-line menu at the top-right corner of your profile page.
Step 4: Find “Sharing and reuse”
Scroll through the settings menu and look for Sharing and reuse.
Step 5: Open the AI reuse control
Find the option that says Allow people to use your content on Instagram and with AI features on Meta.
Step 6: Turn off Posts and Reels
Switch off the toggles for Posts and Reels. This should stop other users from using your public Instagram content in Meta AI image creation features.
Step 7: Consider making the account private
Users who want stronger protection can make their Instagram account private. This may not be suitable for creators, journalists, public personalities, businesses or professionals who need public visibility, but it reduces the ability of strangers to access public photos.
Step 8: Review tagged photos and old public posts
Users should review older posts, tagged photos, profile pictures and public Reels. Images that clearly show the face, family members, children, workplace, school, address, vehicle numbers or sensitive locations should be removed, archived or restricted where necessary.
Step 9: Limit who can tag or mention you
Go to Instagram privacy settings and limit who can mention or tag your account. This reduces the chance of strangers pulling your profile into prompts, posts or other unwanted interactions.
Step 10: Report misuse immediately
If an AI generated image uses your face or identity without permission, report it to Instagram or Meta under impersonation, harassment, privacy violation or non-consensual content, depending on the nature of the image.
Users can also reduce exposure by making their Instagram account private, although that may not be practical for creators, businesses, journalists, artists, public personalities and others who rely on public visibility. The safest approach is to disable content reuse, restrict mentions and tags, and avoid keeping highly personal face images on a fully public account. Public visibility on Instagram should not be treated as automatic consent for AI reuse of a person’s likeness.
Naorem Mohen is the Editor of Signpost News. Explore his views and opinion on X: @laimacha.