Watch CBS News

​Celebrities lose millions of followers in Instagram purge

A photo posted by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on

Justin Bieber just lost more Instagram followers than you'll ever hope to have.

Instagram has been hard at work since the spring getting rid of inactive, fake and spam accounts. The benefit, they say, is maintaining "the best possible experience on Instagram" by ensuring that everyone following you is a real, live person.

The downside? All those fake followers boosting your numbers will disappear by the end of December.

According to data compiled by web developer Zach Allia, Bieber has lost nearly 15 percent -- more than 3.5 million -- of his followers in what is being dubbed on Twitter as the #InstagramPurge.

But his loss is Kim Kardashian's gain. She has now unseated the young king as the most-followed celebrity on Instagram. Though she was stripped of 1.3 million fake followers, her total now stands at 22 million to Bieber's 20 million.

Other big names who saw their follower numbers drop include Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.

Not everyone sees the cull as a bad thing. "Watch What Happens Live" host Andy Cohen tweeted this message of exaltation Thursday:

I lost 20k followers in the #InstagramPurge and I'm feeling cleaner than ever! Only real people, please! Twitter, next?

— Andy Cohen (@Andy) December 18, 2014
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.