In a move likely to strike fear into the hearts of so-called "influencers", Instagram is culling fake followers and removing spam comments and likes.
The social media giant is cracking down on accounts that use third-party apps to gather more followers to look more popular.
The photo-sharing app will use software to identify accounts that use such apps and remove any "inauthentic activity".
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"Recently, we've seen accounts use third-party apps to artificially grow their audience," Instagram wrote in a post.
"Starting today, we will begin removing inauthentic likes, follows and comments from accounts that use third-party apps to boost their popularity."
Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has become a platform for online influencers to gather a large following and often be paid to market products.
The amount an influencer gets paid depends on how large their following is.
Facebook bought the popular photo-sharing app in 2012 for $US1 billion.
Newshub.
