Meta AI bot helped hackers hack Instagram accounts. Obamaʼs presidential account is among the victims

Hackers learned to bypass Instagramʼs security using Metaʼs artificial intelligence-based support chatbot and gained access to a number of private accounts, including the White House page from Barack Obamaʼs presidency.

The Guardian writes about this.

The attackers used Metaʼs AI support bot to link someone elseʼs account to a new email address. The bot then sent a verification code to the specified email and allowed them to change the accountʼs password.

Telegram and X even posted video tutorials demonstrating this hack. In one case, the hacker additionally used a VPN to spoof his location and bypass the platformʼs security mechanisms.

Thus, hackers have broken into, among others, the pages of the cosmetics chain Sephora and the pages of US Space Force Master Sergeant John Bentivegna. Similar cases of account hacking have also been reported by ordinary users on Reddit and X.

Meta confirmed the issue and said it had been fixed. The company also said it would take additional steps to protect affected accounts, but did not specify how many users were affected by the hacking scheme.

The incident has sparked a new wave of debate about the security of AI systems that gain access to important functions such as changing passwords. Cybersecurity experts have called the attack an example of so-called prompt injection — manipulation when attackers force a chatbot to perform dangerous actions contrary to its purpose.

According to experts, such attacks may become more frequent as more and more online services outsource critical functions to artificial intelligence systems.

Metaʼs AI support assistant was launched for Facebook and Instagram users worldwide in early 2026. The company positioned it as a tool that can help users without having to contact support staff.

The AI assistantʼs list of capabilities included reporting fraud, fake accounts, and problematic content, as well as restoring access and resetting passwords.

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