WIRED Says Goose Used AI Profiles to Lure Gay Men, Offering $100 for Fake Accounts
Updated
Updated · Advocate.com · Jul 2
WIRED Says Goose Used AI Profiles to Lure Gay Men, Offering $100 for Fake Accounts
2 articles · Updated · Advocate.com · Jul 2
Summary
WIRED found Goose promotion tied to low-activity Instagram profiles with abnormal follower patterns, and some appeared to be AI-generated accounts that steered gay men to sign up for the app.
One account linked to co-founder David Aliagas advertised paid “ambassador” roles and offered money for “finstas,” while several users told WIRED they were directly recruited through Instagram messages.
Ryan Cheam said an account he believed belonged to a normal user urged him to join Goose’s “curated network of guys”; the accounts identified in the report have since been deactivated or made private.
Goose, marketed as an “anti-algorithm” alternative to Grindr with 392 App Store reviews and a 4.5-star rating, denied using fake users and said it hand-picked invitees and works to keep the app free of bogus profiles.
The allegations sharpen scrutiny of AI marketing in dating apps, where FTC guidance bars impersonation and some states can fine undisclosed synthetic accounts.