Is it illegal to buy Instagram followers?

Last updated · By the HowSociable editorial team

The honest short answer: in the US, buying followers is not a crime for you. No law makes the purchase itself criminal. It violates Instagram’s terms, and there is a narrow civil FTC rule that applies to commercial deception (inflating numbers to mislead consumers or advertisers), not to a private vanity purchase. The FTC has acted against the sellers of fake engagement, not individual buyers.

Note: this is general information, not legal advice. Laws vary by country and change over time. If you have a specific legal question, consult a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction.

Not criminal, but against the rules

For an individual in the US, no federal or state statute makes buying followers a crime. What it does break is Instagram’s Terms of Use, which prohibit artificial or fake engagement. That is a platform-rules issue: the consequence is enforcement by Instagram (removing the followers, resetting your password, reducing reach), not a criminal penalty. For what that enforcement looks like, see can you get banned for buying followers.

The FTC has gone after the sellers

In 2019 the FTC announced its first case challenging the sale of fake social media influence, charging the seller Devumi and its CEO with selling fake followers, subscribers, likes and views. The settlement included a 2.5 million dollar judgment, largely suspended on payment of 250,000 dollars. Importantly, the action targeted the company selling the fake engagement, not the customers who bought it.

The 2024 rule: aimed at commercial deception

The FTC’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, effective in October 2024, makes it unlawful to buy or sell fake reviews and fake indicators of social media influence. On the buyer side, it applies where someone knew or should have known the indicators were fake and where they could be used to materially misrepresent influence for a commercial purpose. Penalties are civil, not criminal. In plain terms, it is aimed at businesses and influencers inflating numbers to deceive consumers or advertisers, not at a hobbyist buying vanity followers.

The honest bottom line

Legality is not really the reason to avoid buying followers. The reason is that it does not work: bought followers are bots that create no reach, engagement or sales, they break Instagram’s rules, and they get removed over time. See does buying followers actually work and is it safe to buy Instagram followers for the full picture.

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The durable path is real growth. See how to get more followers on Instagram, or our honest reviews of follower services if you decide to buy anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

For an individual in the US, buying followers is not a criminal act. No federal or state law makes the purchase itself a crime for the buyer. Its main consequence is that it violates Instagram's Terms of Use, which is a platform-rules issue, not a legal one. The one genuine legal exposure is civil, not criminal, and it targets commercial deception: since the FTC's 2024 rule on consumer reviews and testimonials it can be unlawful to buy fake indicators of social media influence, but only when the buyer knew or should have known they were fake and used them to materially misrepresent their influence for a commercial purpose. A private person buying vanity followers is not the target. This is general information, not legal advice.

Yes, but against the sellers. In 2019 the FTC announced its first case challenging the sale of fake indicators of social media influence: it charged Devumi and its CEO with selling fake followers, subscribers, likes and views, and reached a settlement that included a 2.5 million dollar judgment (largely suspended on payment of 250,000 dollars). The action targeted the company selling the fake engagement, not the individual customers who bought it. A parallel settlement was reached by the New York Attorney General.

The FTC's Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, effective in October 2024, makes it unlawful to buy or sell fake reviews and fake indicators of social media influence. Crucially, on the buyer side the prohibition applies to those who knew or should have known the indicators were fake and that they materially misrepresent their influence for a commercial purpose. Penalties are civil, up to a per-violation amount that is adjusted for inflation. It is aimed at businesses and influencers who inflate numbers to deceive consumers or advertisers, not at a hobbyist buying vanity followers.

The realistic risk is commercial deception, and it is civil. If you are a brand, business or paid influencer and you inflate follower or engagement numbers to mislead consumers or advertisers about your reach or popularity, that can draw FTC attention under its endorsement and deceptive-practices rules. Separately, undisclosed paid promotion (failing to label a material connection to a brand, for example with #ad) is a long-standing FTC concern. Both are about deceiving others in a commercial context, not about the act of buying followers itself. Again, this is general information, not legal advice.

Legal or not, we do not recommend it, because it does not work: bought followers are bots that create no reach, engagement or sales, they violate Instagram's terms, and they get removed over time. The durable path is real growth. See our guides on how to get more followers on Instagram, and if you still want the cosmetic look, read our honest reviews of follower services first and treat it as cosmetic, not growth.

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