Do you feel like you’re losing followers for no apparent reason or controversy on Instagram? You are not alone. In recent hours, several international stars, including Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande and even Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed on the platform, have seen their number of followers drop drastically on Instagram.
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According to several specialist media, Kylie Jenner lost more than 14 to 15 million subscribers in just a few hours, while Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande each lost several million followers as well. Quickly, Internet users nicknamed the phenomenon “ Great Purge of 2026 “, and this makes many people panic about their performance.
The real reason behind all this is a big cleanup of the web. Meta has confirmed that Instagram is currently in the process of removing inactive accounts, bots and profiles deemed inauthentic. In a statement relayed by several media, the company explains that “active subscribers are not affected”.
On social networks, many people are now wondering how many of these subscribers were really bots, and how many were simply long-term inactive users. Some experts also point out that this purge could have a significant impact on influencers, since brand contracts and advertising revenues are often based on the number of subscribers publicly displayed.
No one seems spared by this digital sweep. The downside was that no one was warned.
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