Meta's AI 'Muse' Hijacks Rock Band's Social Media Handles

Meta's artificial intelligence agent, recently unveiled and named Muse, is now operating under social media handles formerly belonging to the English rock band Muse. The band, which has used the @muse moniker on platforms like Instagram and X for years after trademarking its name in 1999, has seen its accounts updated to @museband. This change appears to have occurred around July of this year, causing some initial confusion with Meta executives' posts mistakenly tagging the band's account.

This situation echoes previous instances where Meta has acquired prominent usernames shortly after major company announcements. In 2021, the company obtained the @Meta Instagram handle, previously used by an independent motorcycle magazine. Similarly, in 2023, Meta gained control of the @threads handle on Instagram from a small fashion retailer shortly after launching its Threads platform. While Meta has offered limited explanations, stating they allow username changes, the acquisition of these handles has drawn criticism, especially given the band Muse's artistic themes often explore technological anxieties.