Major Instagram Purge in 2026 Costs Celebrities Millions

In May 2026, Instagram executed a major purge aimed at removing inauthentic accounts from its platform, leading to significant follower losses for numerous celebrities. Kylie Jenner experienced the most substantial decline, losing 15 million followers.

Other notable figures affected included Cristiano Ronaldo, who lost 8 million followers, and the official accounts of Blackpink and Selena Gomez, which lost 10 million and 5.5 million followers, respectively. Ariana Grande lost 5.6 million followers, while Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra saw declines of 5 million and 4 million followers, respectively.

Taylor Swift and Beyoncé reportedly lost over 1 million followers each. The purge also impacted Nigerian superstar Davido, who lost 1.5 million followers due to the removal of accounts linked to a West African bot network.

This unprecedented action utilized advanced AI technology to identify and target accounts associated with third-party growth services and click farms.