Gay dating app Goose has been accused of using AI-generated men and inauthentic social media accounts to attract users to the platform.
An investigation by Wired alleges that Goose, a dating and friendship app marketed as a more relationship-focused alternative to Grindr, used suspicious accounts as part of its promotional strategy. Goose has denied the claims.
The app was created by model and influencer Derek Chadwick and former BeReal growth and community manager David Aliagas. Goose is currently focused on New York City and promotes itself as an app for gay men seeking dates, friendship and community rather than purely hook-ups.
However, the company’s mission has come under scrutiny after Wired reported finding “more than two dozen” accounts it alleged were AI-generated. Several of the accounts highlighted in the report have since become unavailable.
According to Wired, some account avatars were assessed with more than 90% confidence as AI-generated. The report also said the low-usage accounts had unusual follower-to-following ratios and appeared to be part of a wider network promoting Goose.
“The accounts appear to be part of a much larger network of comely, seemingly AI-generated male influencers promoting the app, either by reaching out to gay men via DM or adding them to their Close Friends Stories,” Wired reported.
“Many of the accounts also frequently comment on each other’s photos, including the same heart and fire emojis.”
“The need to essentially bait gay guys into signing up feels really sketchy”
Wired also spoke to several men who said they had interacted with allegedly AI-generated accounts.
Ryan Cheam told the outlet he initially thought the account he was speaking with belonged to “a normal gay guy”. He became suspicious after the account invited him to join a “curated network of guys” on Goose.
“On one hand I’m flattered that I’m their target audience,” Cheam told Wired.
“But the need to essentially bait gay guys into signing up feels really sketchy.”
Goose’s own guidelines instruct users to “stay authentic”. They also tell users not to “share content created from generation or content-altering tools”.
Neither Goose nor Chadwick responded to Wired’s request for comment. However, a company spokesperson later provided a statement to The Advocate.
“Goose is disrupting the gay app space by creating a place where real people can make real friends, dates, and community – our team hand-picked every person who received an invite to our app and we are proud of the community we are building,” the spokesperson said.
“We work 24/7 to keep our app safe and free of the fake profiles that have soured other platforms. Clearly our competitors are taking notice.”
Privacy and safety concerns
The allegations have also renewed attention on Goose’s terms and conditions.
Users have raised concerns about a “Member Content Licence and Waiver”, which appears to allow Goose to use a user’s “user name, image, voice, and likeness”, as well as content shared through the app, including disappearing photos.
One person sharing their concerns on X described the terms as “an insane privacy concern”.
“For everyone else using the app, this means Goose can do whatever they want with any photos/date you upload to the app. Yes – that includes the disappearing ones.”
The Federal Trade Commission has warned businesses that endorsements, testimonials and promotional content must not mislead consumers. Its advertising guidance says endorsements must reflect honest opinions or experiences, and advertisers can be liable for deceptive claims made through endorsements.
For users of queer dating and community apps, the allegations strike at a particularly sensitive issue: trust.
Apps marketed around intimacy, safety and connection rely on users believing that the people reaching out to them are real. If those interactions are automated, AI-generated or otherwise inauthentic, advocates say the harm can go beyond ordinary deceptive marketing.
It can make already vulnerable users feel manipulated in spaces where they were seeking connection.
