NEW DELHI — Instagram has reportedly removed millions of bot and inactive accounts in a major cleanup effort, causing sharp drops in follower counts for some celebrities, influencers and brands.
The Meta-owned social media platform carried out the action as part of what users have dubbed the “Great Purge of 2026.” The cleanup affected several high-profile accounts, according to reports shared by PopBase, including influencer and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner, who reportedly lost more than 14 million followers.
Other creators and public figures also saw sudden declines in their follower totals as Instagram moved to eliminate fake engagement. Bot accounts are often used to inflate likes, comments, followers and engagement metrics across social media platforms.
Instagram has said such cleanups are part of its routine work to improve authenticity on the platform and remove inactive or automated accounts.
“As part of our routine process to remove inactive accounts, some Instagram accounts may have noticed updates to their follower counts. Active followers remain unaffected, and any restored suspended account will be included in the count again after verification,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The reported purge quickly drew attention online, with users sharing screenshots showing overnight declines in follower counts and engagement numbers.
Some users joked that even Instagram’s own official account had been hit. One user on X claimed the platform’s official account lost nearly 9 million followers during the cleanup, writing, “Even Instagram’s own official account reportedly lost over 9 million followers during the cleanup. Nobody was safe.” (Source: IANS)
