Meta has confirmed that the official @obamawhitehouse Instagram account was hacked, resulting in the publication of unauthorized posts and stories before the account was secured and the content removed.
The breach came to light on May 31 when the account, which serves as the archival Instagram page of the Obama administration, began sharing unusual content, including AI-generated images and messages claiming that “the White House is under Shiites’ control.”
Meta said the account has since been recovered and all unauthorized posts deleted. The company added that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Reports indicate that the hack may have been linked to a vulnerability in Meta’s AI-powered support chatbot, which attackers allegedly exploited to gain access to Instagram accounts by changing associated email addresses and resetting passwords. Meta said the flaw has now been patched.
The compromised account is separate from Barack Obama’s personal Instagram profile and had been largely inactive since January 20, 2017, the day of Donald Trump’s first inauguration.
The Obama-era White House account was reportedly among several high-profile Instagram accounts affected by the same security issue, including accounts linked to government officials and major organizations.
Meta has stated that the issue has been resolved and that it is working to secure any accounts impacted by the breach.
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