Around the same time Google updated its helpful content search documentation with defining main content and the new EOT/SA sections, Google also posted a warning to "avoid using deceptive authorship information."
Google added this paraphraph: However, avoid using deceptive authorship information. Fabricating creator profiles (such as by using AI-generated headshots, made-up names, or false credentials to make content appear as if it was written by human experts) is a form of deception. Any form of deception makes a page untrustworthy to both users and our automated quality systems, and is a signal of a low-quality page.
Google previously communicated to us that it was not worried about faking author information but I guess times have changed.
Google is now saying:
- Don't use deceptive authorship
- Don't fake creator profiles
- Don't use AI-generated headshots
- Don't make up author names
- Don't fake author credentials
If you do these things, Google said it is a "form of deception" and makes the page "untrustworthy" and is a signal of "low-quality." Here is a screenshot of this new section:
Forum discussion at X.