Meta has rolled back an Instagram feature that allowed other content creators to use public posts and reels without permission, modifying them using the platform's AI tools.
The setting was quietly enabled for public accounts in recent weeks. As long as a profile was public and the account holder was over the age of 18, the update allowed other users to incorporate posts and reels into remixes, sequences, templates, and stickers, and download them as part of their own content.
Many users were unaware the setting had been turned on.
Several users said they were unhappy with the feature.
"It's scary to think about that, like something like that can just be stolen from you out of nowhere. I feel like that can be manipulated in a lot of really negative ways, especially for younger people too, like kids. So that's really scary," one user said.
Cybersecurity experts said users on any social media platform should monitor their settings and watch how platforms are changing those settings on a day-to-day basis.
Experts noted that most people are used to the idea of a public photo being shared, liked, or viewed, but are not necessarily accustomed to the idea of it being used to create a whole new image.
After the story aired on Friday, July 10, Meta released a statement announcing it was rolling the feature back.
"Earlier this week we announced that one way for people to generate images in Meta AI is by mentioning public Instagram accounts that they want to reference. Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control over whether their public content could be referenced in this way. We've heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so it's no longer available," Meta said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
