US based tech giant Meta has confirmed that some Instagram handles might see new follower counts as the platform goes about removing inactive accounts as part of its “routine process.” On Wednesday, 6th May 2026 both Indian and International media outlets reported that “millions” of followers had been removed from some celebrity account, bringing down their overall follower counts. The removal of followers can disturb many influencers who are mainly dependent on the platform. This has also raised fear of Instagram account deletions, mass removals of bot accounts, or a possible glitch affecting a large number of users.
But here is the truth. No one got hacked, no one got banned. Instagram simply decided to do a big clean-up.
What Exactly Happened?
Sometime overnight between May 6 and May 7, Instagram quietly wiped out millions of fake, inactive, and bot accounts from its platform. The result? Follower counts for some of the world’s biggest names crashed and crashed hard. Kylie Jenner reportedly lost around 14-15 million followers in just a few hours. Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed person on Instagram, dropped nearly 7 million, going from 673 million to around 666 million. Ariana Grande lost 7 million, Taylor Swift lost 5 million, and even Indian icons like Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra were not spared.
The internet, naturally, lost its mind. Social media lit up with memes, screenshots, and dramatic posts. People were calling it the “Great Purge of 2026.”
So Who Were These Millions of Followers?
Simply put, bots. Automated fake accounts that were never real people to begin with. These could be accounts created by third-party services that celebrities or brands paid for to look more popular, or spam accounts that just attach themselves to big names. Either way, they were never real fans scrolling through content. Instagram’s AI systems identified and removed them, all in a single six-hour window.
Smaller creators also felt the impact, with many reporting drops of 2 to 5 percent of their total follower base.
Why Does Instagram Do This?
It is not the first time Instagram has done a purge like this, and it will not be the last. The platform regularly cleans house to keep things authentic. When fake followers pile up, they distort engagement numbers, making it look like a celebrity post is performing well when it really isn’t. This matters a lot for brands and advertisers who pay lakhs or even crores to celebrities for a single sponsored post, purely based on their follower count. Fake followers make that investment worthless.
What Changes Going Forward?
Meta also rolled out a new content policy just a day before the purge, on May 5th. Under the updated rules, accounts that mostly repost someone else’s content instead of creating their own will no longer be promoted by Instagram’s algorithm. This applies to photos and carousels too, not just Reels.
In short, Instagram is pushing hard for real content, real followers, and real engagement. For everyday users, nothing really changes. But for creators and influencers whose livelihoods depend on follower numbers, this is a wake-up call. The numbers game just got a lot more honest.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
