New Gay Dating App 'Goose' Appears to Use AI-Generated Influencers for Deceptive Marketing
The dating app Goose, marketed as a Grindr alternative for gay men seeking relationships, has been found to promote itself through fake Instagram accounts likely generated by artificial intelligence, raising legal and ethical concerns.
A newly launched dating app called Goose, created by model Derek Chadwick and former BeReal growth manager David Aliagas, has quickly climbed the App Store charts, reaching #4 in free lifestyle downloads. However, an investigation has revealed that the app's apparent popularity may be artificially inflated through a network of fake Instagram accounts.
These accounts, such as @miles.sumrall and @danielmmulugeta, feature profile pictures that AI detection tools identify as over 90% likely to be artificially generated. Both accounts were created in May or June 2026 and have very few posts. They have been used to send direct messages to potential users, inviting them to join the Goose community using identical phrasing.
Marketing professional Ryan Cheam received a DM from an account named @alistaircrombbie, which he initially believed to be a real person until he noticed suspicious signs. An analysis using Google's SynthID tool indicated that the profile photo was mostly AI-generated. Similarly, Dalton Bauer received three identical DMs from different new accounts in one week, all promoting Goose.
The co-founder Aliagas appears to have posted Instagram Stories seeking "ambassadors" to manage three Instagram accounts for 4 hours a day, offering $1,800 to $2,100 per month, and even offering to buy fake Instagram accounts for $100 each. This suggests a coordinated campaign to create the illusion of organic interest.
Legal experts say such practices could violate FTC guidelines against deceptive advertising. Attorney Rob Freund emphasized that creating fake accounts to promote a product is "very obviously unlawful" under these rules, regardless of whether the app itself is free. New York state has also enacted a law requiring disclosure of AI-generated content in advertising.
Meta, Instagram's parent company, declined to comment. While Instagram's policies require labeling AI-generated content, the private nature of DMs and Close Friends Stories makes enforcement difficult. Some users have expressed feeling flattered yet manipulated by the tactics.
