Lock It Down: A Security Checklist to Pass Instagram’s Follower Audits

1. Activate Every Native Protection

2. Purge High-Risk Followers Monthly

Use the “Suspicious followers” filter; remove accounts with:

• No profile photo

• Zero posts

• Irrelevant usernames (random strings)
  Instagram’s bulk-deletion tool speeds the process.

3. Educate Your Team Against Phishing

Fake suspension notices mimic Instagram UI and harvest logins.
Send a quick Slack brief: “Instagram never asks for your password in a DM; report and delete.”

4. Review Third-Party Apps

Revoke API access for any growth service promising instant followers. These often trigger security flags and potential shadow-bans.

5. Monitor Engagement-to-Follower Ratio

A sudden dip after a follower spike signals bot infiltration. Act before audits downgrade your reach.

Adopting these habits keeps your leadership brand compliant and visible while Instagram tightens the net around fake audiences.

Curious how to grow an audience that stays clean and algorithm-friendly? Read “Grow Followers the Algorithm-Friendly Way in 2025”.