Instagram began showing instability during the morning of this Wednesday, the 22nd. The digital services monitoring platform, Downdetector, registered a significant increase in reports of problems starting at 10:30 AM. Around 11:30 AM, approximately 865 notifications were counted in Brazil, a number considerably higher than the service's usual average.
On various social networks, users mentioned facing difficulties when trying to use certain features of the application. Among the most common complaints were issues related to sending and receiving messages, although reports of failures in other Instagram functionalities were also noted.
Signs indicate that this instability was not limited to Brazilian territory. Downdetector also documented an increase in failure notifications in several countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. In the United States, the recorded problems were not exclusive to Instagram; Facebook and Facebook Messenger pages also began receiving a higher volume of complaints, suggesting that the instability might be affecting multiple Meta services.
Downdetector works by compiling direct user reports and comparing this volume with the expected standard for each service. Thus, a sharp jump in complaints points to possible ongoing instability but does not serve as definitive confirmation of a total platform shutdown. To date, Meta has provided no information regarding the origin of the problem nor officially confirmed the extent of this instability. Olhar Digital is following the situation and will update the report as soon as new data about the incident becomes available. The outlet also contacted Meta seeking a statement on the situation, and this story will be reviewed if the company responds or new information is released.
Meta suspended a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature on Instagram this Friday (10). This functionality allowed for the creation of images based on public profiles on the platform.
The decision came shortly after the tool's launch, in response to a strong wave of criticism from users, artists, and entertainment industry representatives. Concerns centered on privacy issues and the use of images without proper consent.
This feature was part of the launch of Muse Image, the company's AI image generator, which had been presented on Tuesday (7). According to Meta, the function was automatically triggered for all users who kept their Instagram profiles public. In practice, this meant that these people's appearances could be used to generate AI images without prior authorization.
In light of complaints regarding copyright and privacy, Meta issued a statement acknowledging that the tool was not well received. The company stated that its original intention was to offer a useful creative tool and allow people to control whether their public content would be referenced in this manner. Therefore, the feature was taken offline.
Shortly after the launch, thousands of users used social media to express their apprehension about the use of their images. Many began sharing tips on how to avoid using the feature, such as changing their profile to private or adjusting certain app settings.
The reaction also reached the entertainment industry in the United States. The Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of Hollywood's major talent agencies, contacted Meta on behalf of its clients, labeling the initiative as irresponsible. In a note released on Wednesday (8), CAA emphasized that artists must have autonomy to decide how and if their image and work are used, demanding consent and the ability to set their own terms.
Additionally, SAG-AFTRA, the largest actors' union in the United States, declared on Thursday (9) that Meta's automatic inclusion of users in the feature represented a 'complete misjudgment of public sentiment' regarding AI use.
Despite the removal from Instagram, Meta communicated that Muse Image remains accessible on WhatsApp and the Meta AI application, which functions as an independent company chatbot. Other AI functionalities introduced that week for Instagram remain operational, including exclusive filters created by Muse Image itself.
This incident is part of a series of controversies related to AI tools capable of manipulating or creating images. OpenAI has already faced similar questions about copyright after launching the Sora video generator last September. Although the company made agreements with studios to use protected content, it shut down the application in March.
Another platform mentioned is X, which blocked the Grok chatbot account this year after the dissemination of millions of manipulated images of women and children with little or no clothing. Companies like Google have also been criticized regarding the way their AI systems generate images.
Even with the suspension of the feature on Instagram, Meta assured that its investment in AI continues. On Thursday, the company launched a new version of its AI model, Muse Spark, and announced plans to make an AI video generator available in the coming months.
