Did you notice a drop in your followers recently? You’re not alone! In May 2026, Instagram initiated a significant platform-wide cleanup , resulting in the removal of millions of accounts and a sharp decline in follower counts for users globally. Dubbed the “Great Purge of 2026,” this initiative reflects Meta’s intensified efforts to eliminate spam , inactive profiles , and “non-organic” followers . The sweep targeted accounts flagged as automated bots or those acquired through unauthorized third-party services . The impact of this overnight operation has been felt across all tiers of the platform. While small to mid-sized creators have reported average losses between 2% and 5% of their follower base, high-profile celebrity accounts have experienced the most substantial numerical drops. Reports indicate that Kylie Jenner lost over 15 million followers , while the official account for BLACKPINK saw a reduction of approximately 10 million .…