Supporting protocol network ICMP (which is short for Internet Control Message Protocol) recently ran a report highlighting the amount of fake followers on celebrities’ accounts.
The result that came out was pretty surprising to us. ICMP examined the more popular celebrity accounts including Instagram and Twitter. Sitting on the top of the list is Ellen DeGeneres.
The top 10 celebs with the highest % of fake followers are:
1. Ellen DeGeneres – 49%
2. BTS – 47%
3. Kourtney Kardashian – 46%
4. Taylor Swift – 46%
5. Ariana Grande – 46%
6. Deepika Padukone – 45%
7. Miley Cyrus – 45%
8. Katy Perry – 44%
9. Khloe Kardashian – 43%
10. Priyanka Chopra – 43%
It’s interesting to note that almost everyone in the top 10 are women. K-pop boyband BTS is the only exception. According to the chart, 58% of Ellen’s followers on Instagram aren’t real while 41% of her Twitter followers are fake. Although Kourtney and Khloe are quite on the list, the other Kardashian sister – Kim – isn’t too far behind.
It’s a growing trend that celebrities and “influencers” use their large following to generate income. Many brands now look to these famous Instagrammers to promote their brand. The question is, can they tell the ones with genuine engagement and those who “buy” followers?
Recently, Instagram announced plans to remove the number “likes” on the platform. A trial has been carried out countries like Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Japan and Italy. The objective is to place more emphasis on quality content, rather than focusing on those who choose to selfie their way to fame.
Last year Singapore’s content creators Xia Xue and Dee Kosh used Social Blade to call out Singaporean influencers with a suspicious chart of followers. It’s actually quite entertaining. Watch it here:
Now back to the topic – ICMP also ran the measuring software IG Audit on famous sport stars. Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos took first place for having the most overall fake followers.
You can view the full list here.
