Gay dating app Goose accused of using AI-generated men to lure users - PinkNews
The gay dating app Goose faces allegations of using AI-generated accounts to lure users into joining its platform through deceptive social media engagement
- Incident date
- Jul 2026
- Target
- Goose users
In July 2026, the gay dating and friendship app Goose faced scrutiny following allegations that it utilized a network of AI-generated profiles to attract new users. While the company markets itself as a platform for building authentic connections, reports suggest these synthetic personas were used to promote the service and encourage sign-ups.
What happened
An investigation by Wired identified more than two dozen accounts on social media platforms that were determined with over 90 percent confidence to be AI-generated. These accounts, which featured images of attractive men, reportedly engaged in coordinated behavior such as interacting with each other’s posts using identical emojis, reaching out to potential users via direct messages, and adding individuals to their Close Friends Stories.
Users who interacted with these accounts described the experience as a deceptive baiting tactic. One user, Ryan Cheam, reported being approached by an account that invited him to join a curated network on the Goose app, noting that the solicitation felt inherently dishonest. These profiles often exhibited abnormal follower-to-following ratios, a common indicator of non-human activity. Although several of the accounts highlighted in the report were subsequently deactivated, the investigation raised significant questions regarding the app's commitment to its own guidelines, which explicitly instruct users to remain authentic and avoid using generative content tools.
Goose, founded by model-influencer Derek Chadwick and former BeReal employee David Aliagas, has denied the allegations. A company spokesperson stated that the team hand-picks every person who receives an invite and works continuously to keep the platform free of fake profiles. Beyond the allegations of synthetic promotion, the app has also faced criticism over its terms and conditions, specifically a "Member Content License and Waiver" that grants Goose the right to use a user’s name, image, voice, and likeness, including content shared via disappearing photos. The Federal Trade Commission prohibits the use of AI-generated accounts to impersonate real people or manufacture fake endorsements, adding a potential regulatory layer to the controversy.