‘Great purge of 2026’: Instagram crackdown on fake accounts

Instagram has reportedly removed millions of bot and inactive accounts in a major platform-wide cleanup drive in 2026, triggering sharp drops in follower counts for celebrities, influencers and brands across social media.

According to reports circulated by PopBase, several high-profile personalities witnessed sudden declines in their follower numbers after the purge. Among the most affected was Kylie Jenner, who reportedly lost more than 14 million followers following the cleanup exercise.

Several other creators, influencers and public figures also saw significant overnight drops in followers and engagement figures as the platform removed fake, automated and inactive profiles.

The large-scale action quickly sparked reactions online, with users dubbing it the “Great Purge of 2026”.

Users across social media platforms shared screenshots showing steep declines in follower counts, while some joked that even major verified accounts were not spared.

One user on X claimed that Instagram’s own official account had reportedly lost nearly 9 million followers during the purge.

“Even Instagram's own official account reportedly lost over 9 million followers during the cleanup. Nobody was safe,” the user wrote.

Instagram routinely conducts such cleanups to improve authenticity and reduce fake engagement on the platform. Bot accounts are often used to artificially inflate likes, comments, followers and engagement metrics for influencers, brands and content creators.

Responding to the reports, Meta said the cleanup was part of its regular efforts to remove inactive accounts and maintain platform integrity.

A spokesperson for Meta clarified that active users and genuine followers were not affected by the process.

“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,” the spokesperson said.

The reported purge has once again reignited conversations around fake engagement, purchased followers and the pressure on influencers and brands to maintain large social media audiences.

With IANS inputs