This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
On July 26, 2019, Instagram executed a massive purge of meme accounts, terminating over 30 influential accounts with similar meme-like content, citing policy violations.
According to Facebook, the accounts were disabled following multiple violations of platform policies, including attempted abuse of internal processes.
One affected Instagram influencer, Declan Mortimer, claimed that his account generated up to $20 million a year through adverts to his former 11 million followers.
Declan stated that his account was deactivated due to Facebook's massive meme page purge.
Heavily followed Instagram meme users faced the biggest loss within a few seconds, including @Finest.Investions, who had more than 13 million followers.
Another affected user stated that the action was the 'endgame' for influencers, with heavily followed accounts losing millions of followers and significant financial losses.
A hashtag #memepurge has been trending, with users calling on Facebook and Instagram to look into the matter.
According to sources, meme pages were being deactivated because they were reaching out to users who also violate Instagram policy by selling verification services, retrieving disabled user names, and reinstating banned accounts through a private program.
Facebook confirmed that Instagram shuts down accounts that violate the company's terms of use, including attempting to buy, sell, or transfer account aspects, sharing sensitive personal information, and transferring funds through Instagram or Facebook accounts.
