Meta-owned Instagram has reportedly removed millions of bot and inactive accounts in a sweeping cleanup drive in 2026, triggering sharp overnight drops in follower counts for celebrities, influencers, and brands across the platform. The action, which users on social media have dubbed the "Great Purge of 2026", has drawn widespread attention and reaction online.

Who Was Affected

According to reports shared by PopBase, the purge impacted several high-profile accounts. US influencer and entrepreneur Kylie Jenner reportedly lost more than 14 million followers following the action. Numerous other creators and public figures also witnessed sudden and steep declines in their follower numbers, with many sharing screenshots of the drops across social media platforms.

Notably, one user on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that even Instagram's own official account was not spared, reportedly losing nearly 9 million followers during the cleanup. "Even Instagram's own official account reportedly lost over 9 million followers during the cleanup. Nobody was safe," the user wrote.

What Meta Said

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the action, describing it as part of the company's standard operating process. "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 spokesperson said.

The company clarified that genuine, active users were not affected by the purge and that the exercise was aimed at improving authenticity and reducing fake engagement on the platform.

Why Instagram Conducts These Cleanups

Instagram routinely carries out such purges to combat the widespread use of automated bot profiles, which are often deployed to artificially inflate likes, followers, comments, and overall engagement metrics. Inflated follower counts can mislead brands, advertisers, and audiences about an account's actual reach and influence.

This is not the first time Instagram has undertaken a large-scale account removal drive. The platform has periodically conducted similar cleanups in the past, though the scale of the 2026 action and its visible impact on major celebrity accounts appears to have made it particularly notable.

Social Media Reaction

The purge quickly went viral, with users across platforms sharing memes, jokes, and screenshots documenting the follower count drops. The phrase "Great Purge of 2026" trended as users reacted to the sudden changes, with some expressing surprise at the sheer scale of bot infiltration even among the platform's most prominent accounts.

As Instagram continues to refine its authenticity measures, the episode serves as a stark reminder of how significantly fake accounts have distorted social media metrics — and how much of the influencer economy may have been built on an inflated foundation.