Mia Goth AI fake exposes Instagram’s verification problem

An AI-generated image of Mia Goth with a mocking caption about her divorce from Shia LaBeouf went viral on Instagram. After the actress’s representatives complained, Meta removed a verified fan account.

Fake image of Mia Goth generated with AI and shared on Instagram

Actress Mia Goth criticized Instagram after an AI-generated image went widely viral on the social network, showing her supposedly posing in a T-shirt with the caption “MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN.” The post followed Goth’s filing for divorce from Shia LaBeouf.

The British actress, who recently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey,” filed for divorce on October 6. Goth and LaBeouf have been married since October 2016, and their on-again, off-again relationship dates back to 2012.

How the fake image went viral

Two days after the filing, an image resembling a selfie of the actress began circulating on Instagram. It was posted by the account @miagoth_, which had a blue verification badge. In the image, Goth was wearing a T-shirt with the phrase “MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN,” and the post included Beyoncé’s song Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).

According to The Verge, the image was liked by hundreds of thousands of users, including people in the entertainment industry. OK! and People also reported on the image as if it were real. Screenshots quickly appeared on other platforms, too. Goth is best known for her work in Ti West’s horror trilogy “X,” as well as her starring role in the 2022 film “Pearl.”

The actress’s representative called Instagram’s actions “incomprehensible” and said the team had asked for the fake image to be removed. According to Christine Tripicchio, Goth does not have any social media accounts. Her representatives had repeatedly complained about the verified fan account, which continued to post fake AI-generated images of the actress.

“The fact that this fan account meets Instagram’s criteria for getting a blue badge is deeply troubling on a fundamental level. Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that Instagram appears to prioritize the spread of fake and altered images over protecting the likeness and privacy of a public figure,” Tripicchio told The Verge.

Verification and platform responsibility

After the actress’s representatives spoke out, Meta spokesperson Alex Dziedzdan told The Verge that the miagoth_ account, which had more than a million followers, had been removed for impersonating a public figure. Although the profile said it was a fan page, the blue badge could have made it seem like an official account.

Previously, the badge served to confirm that an account was authentic. Meta later introduced paid verification, allowing fan accounts and other pages not run by the people depicted in their posts to get a blue checkmark.

The cover photo of Mia Goth is licensed through Depositphotos.