Meta removes millions of fake Instagram followers from celebrities

Meta removed millions of fake Instagram followers from high-profile accounts this week after deploying an updated AI moderation system and enforcing an Instagram policy change that took effect on May 5 to remove inauthentic and inactive accounts. The action affected accounts across Facebook and Instagram.

Accounts for Cristiano Ronaldo, Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK, Virat Kohli and Priyanka Chopra were among those that lost followers. Nigerian artist Davido was reported to have lost more than 2 million followers in the sweep. Some celebrity profiles saw losses measured in the millions overnight.

Meta issued a statement on the follower reductions: “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.” The company framed the removals as routine maintenance and enforcement of platform rules.

The new moderation system uses machine learning to detect impersonation, scam advertising and coordinated inauthentic behavior. The models analyze profile bios, account behavior signals, image context and patterns of engagement to flag accounts that appear fake. Signals include sudden spikes in follower counts, repeated posting of promotional links, recycled profile images and networks of accounts that primarily interact with each other.

Meta has trained these systems to estimate user age and identify recurring bot-driven patterns tied to scams and impersonation. Automated accounts have been used to promote crypto token presales, fake giveaways, counterfeit merchandise drops and to impersonate public figures as part of fraudulent campaigns.

The company previously reported a broad cleanup in 2025 that removed 10.9 million accounts tied to scam operations and 159 million scam ads. Meta said about 92% of those ads were taken down before any user reported them.

The enforcement comes as Meta expands payments and creator features, including pilot stablecoin payouts in USDC for creators in Colombia and the Philippines. Company officials have described the removal of scam accounts and fake engagement as part of efforts to keep the ads and creator environment clearer for advertisers, creators and regulated payment partners.

Instagram’s May 5 policy update clarified enforcement standards for inauthentic accounts and tightened penalties for coordinated fraudulent campaigns. The platform said the updated systems will continue to scan for the behavioral and content signals outlined by the company to reduce automated and fraudulent activity.