Meta is facing a coordinated backlash over a new feature that lets users generate AI images of people using their Instagram likenesses, sparking the kind of consent showdown that defines the AI era.
The company rolled out Muse Image this week, a tool embedded in Meta AI that allows anyone to tag a public Instagram account and render that person's face into AI-generated photos. The catch: account holders aren't alerted when this happens and must manually opt out if they want to block the practice.
The setup has ignited criticism from privacy groups, talent representatives, and labor unions who argue that consent should come first, not after the fact.
Public Citizen called the approach an "egregious invasion" of privacy. J.B. Branch, the group's director of federal AI governance and technology policy, said Meta had picked "the creepiest possible path." He argued that people shouldn't have to discover their faces have become "raw material for someone else's AI experiment."
The talent agency CAA took a similar stance, demanding Meta shift to an affirmative consent model. "No one's name, image, likeness, voice, or creative work should be used by any third party, including AI models, without clear, documented consent," the agency said. CAA emphasized that artists deserve control over how their likenesses are deployed and the ability to monitor usage and block unauthorized endorsements.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, went further by recommending members immediately opt out of the tool. The union posted instructions on X, telling members to "take action to protect your likeness."
Meta has defended the tool as built with safeguards against policy-violating content, including violent, sexual, or defamatory imagery. The company has not announced plans to change its policy despite the pushback.
Alexandr Wang, chief of Meta Superintelligence Labs, acknowledged hearing the concerns and said the company is considering next steps. "We're definitely receiving a lot of the feedback and are being thoughtful about what the next steps for that product should be," he told Axios.
The clash underscores a fundamental divide shaping AI regulation: whether companies can use people's likenesses unless told to stop, or whether they must ask permission upfront. Meta's opt-out model assumes consent by default. Its critics argue consent should be earned, not assumed.
Author James Rodriguez: "Meta has backed itself into a corner by choosing convenience over consent, and the heat from Hollywood and privacy groups suggests this model won't hold."
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