Fake followers are artificial accounts, often created by bots, used to inflate an Instagram influencer's follower count. They don't engage with the influencer's content, skewing the perceived reach and engagement metrics.

Brands and marketers often pay influencers based on their follower count. With fake followers, brands waste their marketing budgets reaching bots, not real people, leading to lower engagement and return on investment.

Hypothesis is a data-driven tool developed by OML that uses a proprietary metric, the GAP (Genuine Audience Percentage), to assess the authenticity of an influencer's audience and engagements. It helps brands identify creators with genuine audiences, ensuring marketing campaigns resonate with real people, not bots.

The GAP score represents the authenticity and engagement level of an influencer's audience. The most reputable influencers have a GAP score of 75% or higher, indicating a genuine connection with their audience.