In a sweeping action, Instagram carried out one of its largest account clean-ups to date, removing millions of bots, fake accounts, and inactive profiles in a single move. This massive purge affected follower counts for celebrities and influencers around the globe, including Cuban artists and musicians.
This event, dubbed the "Great Purge of 2026" by users, took place on May 7, with immediate effects visible on the profiles of figures who had amassed millions of followers over the years.
A Meta spokesperson clarified the situation: "As part of our routine process to eliminate inactive accounts, some Instagram profiles may have noticed changes in their follower counts. Active followers remain unaffected, and any suspended account that gets reinstated will be re-added to the count after verification."
Global Impact and Cuban Artists' Losses
Globally, the numbers were staggering: Kylie Jenner lost over 14 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo saw 6,622,220 disappear, and even Instagram's official account dropped nearly nine million followers.
Cuban artists were not immune to these changes. According to SocialBlade data, the following changes were recorded:
Camila Cabello (born in Cojímar, Cuba): -1,049,285
Pitbull (Cuban-American): -224,703
Gente de Zona: -40,744
Jacob Forever: -24,185
Yomil: -18,880
Ovi: -21,105
Randy Malcom: -12,996
Alexander Delgado: -10,963
El Micha: -10,040
Descemer Bueno: -3,298
La Diosa: -1,812
Bebeshito: -1,645
Seidy La Niña: +2,445
Dany Ome: +10,761
Camila Cabello and Pitbull topped the list in terms of absolute losses, yet they remain the Cuban-origin artists with the largest follower base on the platform, explaining the scale of their numbers.
Winners and Losers in the Cuban Urban Scene
Within the Cuban urban music scene, Gente de Zona suffered the most with a loss of 40,744 followers, followed by Jacob Forever with 24,185 and Ovi with 21,105.
However, it wasn't all losses. Dany Ome emerged as the big winner with an increase of +10,761 followers during the purge, indicating an active and genuine audience.
Seidy La Niña also gained followers during the clean-up, adding +2,445 in that period. She has accumulated more than 40,000 new followers in the past two weeks, establishing herself as one of the fastest-growing Cuban artists organically.
Understanding the Purge
It's important to note that losing followers in this purge doesn't imply fraud or the purchase of followers. Meta estimates that between 10% and 15% of its active accounts are fake or spam, and by 2025, it had already eliminated more than 500 million fake accounts, according to its Transparency Report.
Any profile with followers accumulated over the years could be affected, regardless of their behavior on the platform.
This purge is not an isolated phenomenon: X conducted its own bot clean-up on April 9, 2026, suspending 208 accounts per minute, in a global trend driven by advertisers' and regulators' demands for more transparent and authentic audience metrics.
Among Cuban influencers, Sandra Cires was hit the hardest, losing 55,278 followers in the same purge, according to SocialBlade data.
Insights into Instagram's 2026 Purge
Why did Instagram conduct such a massive purge?
Instagram's purge was part of a routine effort to eliminate inactive and fake accounts, ensuring more accurate follower metrics for its users.
How did the Great Purge affect Cuban artists?
Cuban artists like Camila Cabello and Pitbull saw significant drops in their follower counts, reflecting the removal of non-authentic accounts.
Who benefited from the Instagram purge?
Dany Ome and Seidy La Niña gained followers during the purge, indicating they have a more engaged and genuine audience.
Does losing followers mean an account is fraudulent?
No, losing followers during the purge doesn't suggest fraudulent activity; it reflects the removal of inactive or fake accounts, which is common across all profiles.