Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Loses 18 Million Instagram Followers
Meta's bot cleanup campaign on Instagram caused a sudden drop in followers for top celebrities, with Cristiano Ronaldo losing 18 million.
A sweeping cleanup of inactive and fake accounts on Instagram has led to a sharp, unexpected decline in follower counts for some of the world's biggest stars. Cristiano Ronaldo saw the largest single drop among celebrities, losing approximately 18 million followers in one go, according to reports circulating on social media platforms.
The purge, carried out by Meta, did not stop with Ronaldo. Several other prominent figures in entertainment and pop culture were also affected.
- Kylie Jenner lost around 15 million followers
- Selena Gomez saw her follower count drop by roughly 7 million
- Ariana Grande also experienced a decrease of about 7 million followers
This move is part of Meta's broader strategy to combat bot accounts and policy-violating profiles. The company aims to boost genuine engagement and enhance the credibility of user statistics on the platform.
Technology experts suggest that while such campaigns may impact the advertising value of certain accounts, they provide advertisers with a more accurate picture of a celebrity's or influencer's real audience size.
Despite the massive loss, Ronaldo retains his title as the most-followed person on Instagram, maintaining a significant lead over his closest competitors. This underscores his enduring and immense global popularity.
