Instagram Purge: Celebs Lose Millions Overnight

Instagram has reportedly initiated a large-scale removal of bot and spam accounts, significantly impacting follower counts for celebrities and influencers worldwide. This event, dubbed "The Great Purge of 2026," has led to millions of followers vanishing overnight from numerous high-profile accounts. Kylie Jenner is said to have lost more than 14 million followers, and Cristiano Ronaldo experienced a decline of nearly 8 million.

Parent company Meta Platforms is believed to be behind this aggressive crackdown on non-organic and inactive accounts. The purge appears to be part of ongoing policy changes aimed at enhancing platform authenticity. While official statements are pending, the aggressive removal of these accounts signifies a major effort to curb spam and artificially boosted engagement across the platform.