Instagram sabotage

Amid ongoing social unrest and a tightly controlled traditional media landscape, the internet has become essential for communication and organising. Instagram, one of the most widely used platforms in Serbia, is a key source of information for many citizens about student and civic protests and enables on-the-ground reporting, particularly when documenting violence against protesters. Shutting down Instagram accounts that bring together large audiences would further widen the existing information gap around matters of significant public interest.

Weekend operation

However, this is precisely what appears to have been attempted on two separate occasions. Between 16 and 18 January, more than 20 Instagram accounts belonging to media outlets, journalists and activists were suspended for alleged violations of Meta’s Community Standards. Those affected included three Nova.rs accounts, as well as accounts of Radar magazine, the CRTA organisation, photojournalist Gavrilo Andrić, activist Miran Pogačar, and many others. What these accounts share is that they represent critical voices amid a prolonged social crisis and state pressure on citizens. Several experienced a sudden surge in inauthentic followers shortly before Meta took action. Notably, some accounts targeted by fake followers – such as the ZOOMER portal – avoided suspension for reasons that remain unclear.

Following reactions from SHARE Foundation, the national activist community, civil society and individuals, the accounts were gradually restored at the start of the week. However, shortly after reinstatement, some – including Radar and Nova.rs – were again hit by a surge of followers on Monday, 19 January. Other United Group outlets, Danas and N1, experienced a similarly sharp influx the same day. In a further spike on the evening of 22 January, the Instagram accounts of N1 and Radar each gained around 23,000 followers within a single hour.

Networks of influence

Meta’s policies prohibit coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB), defined as the use of networks of fake accounts or pages controlled by the same actors to mislead Meta or users, or to evade enforcement of the Community Standards. For example, the ZOOMER newsroom noted that their Instagram account and Radar’s account shared some of the same followers among the large number of random profiles that had followed them.

In early 2023, Meta reported in its quarterly threat report that it had taken action against a network of coordinated actors in Serbia linked to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party. On that occasion, more than 5,000 Facebook accounts were removed, along with 12 Facebook groups and 100 Instagram accounts. Meta estimated that the dismantled network had spent at least USD 150,000 on advertising. In the same reporting period (Q4 2022), Meta also reported action against similar inauthentic networks in Cuba and Bolivia, where activity on its platforms was likewise linked to governing authorities.

This is not the first recent domestic incident involving coordinated networks. In November last year, numerous Instagram accounts belonging to students from various faculties and universities faced a similar pattern: the accounts first received an unusually large influx of followers in a short period, were then suspended, and were later restored following coordinated community action directed at Meta.

Although Meta restored the accounts relatively quickly, the lack of transparency raises questions about the actual role of networks of inauthentic users – namely, whether they are used to mass-report legitimate civil society and media accounts without grounds, or whether suspensions occur as a result of Meta’s algorithms reacting to unusual activity on targeted accounts.

Prevention

Although there is currently no proven strategy to prevent the artificial inflation of followers on Instagram, accounts can take steps to prepare for potential suspension. Key account details (such as the profile link and username) should be kept in case access is blocked, so that all necessary information can be promptly provided during the appeal process for unjustified suspension or removal. It is also essential that account administrators maintain access to the email address associated with the account in order to monitor notifications from Meta.

When publishing content, it is important to comply with Meta’s Community Standards, which, among other things, prohibit incitement to violence, fraud, harassment and violations of privacy. The Instagram accounts suspended during this incident were successfully restored because they had not breached Meta’s rules. In certain cases, Meta also allows users to appeal suspension decisions, and such appeals should be submitted as soon as possible.

In the weeks ahead, SHARE Foundation will examine information gathered from individuals and organisations affected by suspected forms of Instagram sabotage, to gain deeper insight into the process from the perspective of targeted accounts. We also expect Meta to conduct an internal investigation to establish the facts and prevent further abuse of its platform.