Instagram is the most popular social media platform amongst the Millenials and GenZ population. People are in a race to build a fan following on the popular photo and video-sharing app. Everyone is running behind followers as it allegedly ups your social game and also brings you paid collaborations. Even celebrities are constantly working towards increasing their Instagram followers and reach. However, there’s a bad practice of getting paid Instagram followers. There are small organizations and individuals who offer fake followers in exchange for money. Believe it or not, it is a full-fledged business for some people. Even a few Bollywood celebs have been accused of having paid Instagram followers. Let’s check out the list:
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Desi girl Priyanka Chopra is the most followed Bollywood actress on Instagram. She currently has 81.6 million followers. However, a few years ago, she was accused of having fake followers. A 2019 report by London-based independent music education provider Institute of Contemporary Music Performance had named Priyanka Chopra among the 10 global celebrities with maximum fake followers on Instagram. It claimed that 46% of her followers are operating ‘bot’ accounts.
2. Deepika Padukone
In the same report, Bollywood’s other leading actress Deepika Padukone was also listed. As per the analysis, 46% of her followers are nothing but ‘bot’ accounts. The Padmaavat actress currently has 68.6 million followers on Instagram.
3. Badshah
In 2020, Bollywood rapper Badshah was also accused of indulging in such practices. It was alleged that he bought fake views on his 2019 music video titled ‘Paagal, in a bid to break a YouTube viewership record. Mumbai Mirror reported that Badshah admitted to paying Rs 72 lakh to get 72 million fake views on this music video. The police said that he wanted to set a new world record of maximum likes within 24 hours on YouTube with his music video. He was also questioned in connection to the rackets that sell fake followers and views to social media influencers.
While these Bollywood celebs have been accused of having fake social media followers, Facebook-owned Instagram previously said that it removes inauthentic likes, followers, and comments from accounts that use third-party or illegal apps to grow their audience base. A Facebook spokesperson said, “Services that offer to boost an account’s popularity via inauthentic likes, comments and followers, aren’t allowed as per our community guidelines.”
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