“Follow Their Leader" is a crowdfunding platform that uses Instagram's own algorithm to ban hate-spreading accounts by buying them fake followers. The platform was created to prove that the removal of hateful content on Instagram is a question of money and not technology, as Meta claims. The campaign used the very platform it was targeting to raise donations, shut accounts and generate enough public pressure on Instagram to make the campaign reach its goal.

The Non-violence project foundation is an NGO whose mission is to inspire, motivate, and engage people to prevent and reduce all forms of violence, both offline and online. Our brief was to bring their mission to life and prevent online violence from turning into physical violence, as numerous studies have shown that more people than ever are being radicalized on social platforms. We looked towards Instagram as they only remove 18.8% of hate posts even though their guidelines state: “Follow the law. Instagram is not a place to support or praise terrorism, organised crime or hate groups.” They claim they don't have the technology needed to identify and remove it, but at the same time this content is proven to be the most engaging, which makes it profitable for Instagram to keep on the platform.

While Instagram claims they can’t detect and remove content automatically, their algorithm can detect and remove accounts that buy fake followers as that threatens their business model (fake followers are fake social media profiles that were set up with the intention of mass-following other social media accounts for money). So we decided to do something, never done before, to prove that the removal of hate is a question of money, not technology. We created Follow Their Leader - a crowdfunding platform where people could buy fake followers for hate-spreading accounts. Since Instagram's algorithm reacts to suspicious behaviour e.g. an unnatural rise in followers, we bought fake followers, which triggered Instagram’s algorithm. It shadow-bans the accounts - accounts already breaking the Terms & Conditions - and ultimately shut them down for good.

Follow Their Leader is based on research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which found a direct link between Instagram's inaction against racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, and violent content and the profits it generates for Instagram. The Non-Violence Project's strategy was to not only expose how Instagram is actively not responding to the danger of extremists on their platform, but do something about it. Follow Their Leader used Instagram's own algorithms to prove that the removal of hate is a question of money, not technology. Because if the algorithm can easily auto-remove content with fake followers, why can’t it target hate? We aimed to pressure Instagram, through public awareness, into meeting with The Non-Violence Project Foundation to begin working together to make the platform safer.

As we knew fake followers hurt Instagram's business model (as advertisers dont want to pay for bots seeing their ads), we used this knowledge to build our platform, which hacked Instagram's algorithm to expose their priorities to the world. The way it worked was that we found accounts that promoted racism, homophobia, and nazism, - all accounts that violate the terms & conditions of Instagram - and put the accounts up for sale. People could then donate money, which we used to buy fake followers that would get these accounts shadow-banned and shut down. The campaign ran on all social platforms and ended with us releasing an open letter to Instagram, which ran on all platforms and on a billboard truck placed at Meta's San Francisco headquarters. The campaign made the Independent open an investigation on Instagram’s priorities which led to Instagram agreeing to meet with The Non-Violence Project Foundation.

The campaign not only revealed how Instagram ignores extremists and other hateful influencers on their platform, but it also did something about the problem. Follow Their Leader shadow-banned all the selected extremist accounts by mobilizing enough people to buy several hundred thousand fake followers. Follow Their Leader gave an NGO the opportunity to hold the world's largest social media company publicly accountable for the content on their platform by using their own technology against them. And it worked! The campaign reached its goal after The Independent opened an investigation into Instagram’s practice. This applied enough pressure for Meta - the primary target group - to agree to meet with The Non-Violence Project Foundation to discuss how Instagram can enforce their own guidelines. All to avoid online violence from ever turning to physical violence, paving the way for Instagram to become a less hate-focused platform.