Instagram removed millions of fake and inactive accounts in a global purge that began on May 6, 2026 [1], [4].
The cleanup targets bots and accounts that violate platform policies, significantly altering the perceived reach and influence of the world's most followed individuals.
Meta's action caused dramatic follower drops for high-profile users across the platform. Some celebrities lost up to seven million followers in minutes [2]. These losses occurred as the system identified and deleted accounts that did not represent real people or active users [1].
Kylie Jenner was among the most affected by the purge, losing over five million followers overnight [3]. The sudden shift in numbers reflects the scale of the bot problem on the platform, where inactive accounts often inflate a user's total reach.
The purge was an overnight operation aimed at curbing the prevalence of fake profiles [1]. While the exact number of total accounts deleted has not been specified beyond the millions [1], the impact was felt immediately by those with the largest audiences [2].
Instagram has historically conducted similar cleanups to maintain the integrity of its engagement metrics. By removing these accounts, the platform aims to ensure that likes and follows represent authentic human interaction rather than automated scripts [1].
“Instagram removed millions of fake and inactive accounts”
This mass deletion highlights the ongoing struggle between social media platforms and automated bot networks. For brands and advertisers, these purges reveal that 'follower counts' are often inflated metrics, suggesting that actual organic reach may be significantly lower than public profiles indicate.
