Meta-owned social media platform Instagram has reportedly removed millions of bot accounts in a major 2026 cleanup, PopBase reported. The action has affected several high-profile users and influencers.
Instagram frequently carries out such actions to improve authenticity and genuine user count on the platform. US influencer and billionaire entrepreneur Kylie Jenner was among the most affected, losing over 14 million followers, according to PopBase. Other celebrities and influencers also saw sudden drops in their follower counts.
The publication also spoke to a Meta spokesperson on the action, who noted that it doesn't impact “active” followers.
“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 official said.
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Kylie Jenner was the most affected over Instagram removal losing over 14 million followers pic.twitter.com/M014OpWqUb
— pop_insider ???????? (@PInsider_) May 6, 2026
A bot account is an automated program that works on social media or websites. It acts like a human but runs on its own to perform tasks quickly. It is common to see such accounts used for fake engagement, spam or automated posting on social media platforms.
And the great social media purge begins, y'all
— ????????Salty Texan (@texan_maga) May 7, 2026
Told ya these slobs have been propped up by fake accounts. Just like Joe's 81 million votes, my ass. pic.twitter.com/EnoPHiKrF3
Unverified media reports claimed that besides Jenner, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, South Korean pop band BTS, were among others hit by the action, reportedly losing millions of followers.
Following the development, social media is flooded with reactions. Some people have labelled the incident the “Great Purge of 2026”, as they woke up to their reduced followers. The purge has reportedly affected engagement numbers and visibility for several accounts.
One user on X platform claimed that Instagram's own official account on the platform had lost close to 9 million followers.
???? Instagram (@instagram)
— FATHEROF4 (@s4muel_B) May 6, 2026
Even Instagram's OWN official account reportedly lost over 9 million followers during the cleanup ????
Nobody was safe. pic.twitter.com/iu3qkPTk0O
“Even Instagram's own official account reportedly lost over 9 million followers during the cleanup. Nobody was safe,” the user joked.
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