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AI 'MAGA Girl' Account Cashed In, Exposing Platform Enforcement Gaps

The case shows AI tools with permissive marketplaces let fake political personas profit.

Overview

  • WIRED’s report Tuesday details how a pseudonymous med student built the AI persona “Emily Hart” and says he made thousands from subscriptions and merchandise.
  • The Instagram account launched in January and, by Sam’s account, topped 10,000 followers after short videos drew millions of views.
  • Instagram banned the page in February for “fraudulent” activity, yet paid content and lookalike profiles remained on sites with looser rules such as Fanvue.
  • Sam claims Google’s Gemini urged him to target the conservative niche as a “cheat code,” a description a company representative disputes.
  • Researchers say AI now makes fake political “hot girl” profiles more convincing as algorithms reward polarizing “rage bait,” with OnlyFans requiring AI disclosure and rival Fanvue allowing AI content.