Meta’s Muse Hits 600,000 Daily Users as OpenClaw Copying and Security Claims Mount
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 24
Meta’s Muse Hits 600,000 Daily Users as OpenClaw Copying and Security Claims Mount
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 24
Summary
600,000 daily U.S. users have propelled Meta’s Muse up the App Store charts, but the launch is now shadowed by claims it closely mirrors open-source rival OpenClaw.
Meta denied Muse was built on OpenClaw, with product chief Nat Friedman saying it was built “from scratch” while conceding it was heavily inspired and reused file names and prompt language because OpenClaw “got those things exactly right.”
Security is a second flashpoint: OpenClaw previously faced malware and a researcher said 15% of its skill repository carried malicious instructions, while Muse itself was flagged this week for a zero-day that could let attackers hijack an agent.
Meta says Muse stores data in an isolated Secure VM and plans cryptographic protections later this year, but the company can still access user data today and the app defaults to using that data for model training unless users opt out.
OpenClaw’s rapid rise — 2 million visitors and 100,000 GitHub stars in about a week — helped trigger a broader consumer AI-agent push now being commercialized by Meta, Instinct, Google and Apple.
Did Meta truly build its hit AI agent from scratch, or simply repackage a lone developer's weekend project for mass profit?
With zero-day flaws already exposed, can we trust corporate AI agents with our personal emails, finances, and daily schedules?
Meta Muse’s Explosive 2.8M-User Debut: AI Agents, Security Risks, and the Battle for E-Commerce Control
Overview
Meta's launch of Muse in September 2026 marked a bold move into the consumer AI market, driven by intense competition with OpenAI and a rush to close the adoption gap. This urgency led to rapid development cycles, which fueled controversy over alleged code borrowing from the open-source project OpenClaw. Shortly after release, Muse faced a critical security incident when a researcher exploited a zero-day vulnerability, prompting Meta to issue a swift fix. Meanwhile, Muse's violation of Amazon's policies resulted in a high-profile platform blockade. Despite these challenges and the heavy costs of providing dedicated cloud infrastructure, Wall Street responded enthusiastically, sending Meta’s stock soaring as investors bet on Muse’s transformative potential.