“Instagram Bot Purge 2026 triggered massive follower losses across celebrity and influencer accounts overnight.”
Instagram users woke up Thursday to sharply lower follower counts after what appears to be one of the platform’s biggest bot crackdowns in years. Celebrities, influencers and ordinary users across India, the US and South Korea reported sudden overnight losses, with terms like “Great Purge of 2026” quickly trending on Threads and X.
Tracking screenshots shared online showed major accounts shedding millions of followers within hours. Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly lost more than 6.6 million followers, while Lionel Messi dropped by nearly 4.8 million. Virat Kohli’s account showed a decline of over 2 million followers in roughly two days. Priyanka Chopra, Taylor Swift and Jennifer Lopez were also listed among heavily affected accounts.
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Meta yet to issue full statement
Meta has not released a detailed public explanation, but multiple reports linked the drop to a large-scale removal of fake, inactive and automated accounts. One widely circulated Instagram post stated: “We are removing accounts that violate our policies to ensure authentic interactions.”
Yahoo Creators reported that Instagram recently expanded its originality rules, reducing visibility for repost heavy accounts and third-party engagement networks. Reports also pointed to new AI-driven moderation systems designed to detect coordinated inauthentic behavior.
Some users claimed legitimate accounts may have been caught in the sweep. “My followers just dropped overnight by 2.4k, wtffff,” one Threads user wrote. Another posted: “IG randomly just break for anyone else?”
Celebrity and K-pop accounts hit hardest
Entertainment outlets including Times of India amplified celebrity tracking data throughout Thursday. Kylie Jenner was reported to have lost more than 14 million followers, while BLACKPINK fan accounts claimed the group’s official page shed nearly 10 million.
Smaller creators were affected too. Several users reported losing between 2% and 5% of their audiences during what some reports described as a six-hour removal window.
The crackdown has also reopened criticism around fake engagement in influencer marketing. Advertisers have long questioned inflated audience numbers across major creator accounts, particularly those tied to follower-selling networks and automated engagement services.
Threads activity surged during the chaos as users compared screenshots and verified losses in real time. For now, the exact scale of Instagram’s cleanup remains unclear. Meta has yet to confirm how many accounts were removed or how many real users may have disappeared with them.
For more updates follow: First Report News
