Meta has released Muse Image, an AI tool that uses publicly-available Instagram profile pictures to generate images.

It’s perhaps not surprising that the release of Muse Image has quickly resulted in a sizeable public backlash, as users realize you have to opt out of your photo being used by the tool, rather than in.

Muse Image is available through Meta AI and on WhatsApp and in Instagram Stories for users based in the U.S.

Meta described in a newsroom post how Muse Image “acts as the creative partner that knows your world, making it easy to turn your ideas into high quality visuals that you can download and share anywhere, including directly to your feed, story, or chat.”

Yet experts warn Muse Image could be used by criminals and scammers.

“Like with so many new features in tech platforms, many people will have no idea that they’re opted in to this by default when their account is public,” says Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.

Although Meta claims the feature will be used for “creativity,” the worrying side effect is that any tool that makes impersonation easier “inevitably opens itself up for abuse by criminals and scammers,” Moore warns.

Meta said the company “built Muse Image with strong controls and safety guardrails from day one.”

“Private accounts and those belonging to users under 18 are automatically excluded and adult users with public accounts can opt out with just a couple clicks,” a spokesperson told me over email. “We will take action against any content that violates our Community Standards.”

What Is Meta Doing To Make Muse Image Private?

Meta says Muse Image includes strict eligibility and minor protections: You cannot @-mention private accounts and any accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 . Additionally, teens cannot use this feature to tag or reference other accounts.

Meta also points to built-in safety guardrails. It claims Muse Image includes robust technical protections designed to block the generation of policy-violating content. Anyone who encounters a generated image they find objectionable can report it by pressing and holding the image, selecting the "thumbs down" option, and choosing a reason for reporting. Content that violates Meta’s policies is subject to removal.

How To Opt Out Of Meta Muse Image Scanning

To opt out of Muse Image scanning for public Instagram accounts, open Profile > Menu.

There is a dedicated toggle located directly under Settings -> Sharing and reuse. By turning off "Allow people to reuse your content” users instantly block others from @-mentioning their account to generate AI images.

Yet it’s too late if anyone has already used your image. “Turning off these reuse settings only prevents future AI image generation and reuse,” says journalist Danny Bradbury on the Malwarebytes blog . “It won’t remove AI-generated content or remixes that already exist.”

You can protect your account using security settings such as multi factor authentication. Private accounts are safer, says Moore. “But if your Instagram profile has to be public, it’s worth reviewing your settings and turning off the option that allows people to reuse your content.”

E.U. and U.K. data rules, such as the general data protection regulation , require explicit consent to use data for purposes such as this. The rules aren’t as strict elsewhere.

As AI tools such as Meta’s Muse Image continue to be used in ways people might not have anticipated, it’s important to keep up to date to protect your privacy where possible. Muse Image won’t be the last tool to act in this way, so it’s a good idea to opt out — or even better, make your Instagram account private.