
If you noticed that one of your friends unfollowed you on Twitter recently, it might not be that they got fed up with your oversharing. Instead, they may have been the victim of a new “unfollow” bug Twitter finally admitted to today. The bug makes it look like you’re not following someone even when you are: in order to see if you’re actually following them, you have to click over to their profile page for confirmation.
“If you’ve ever noticed your friends and contacts unfollowed you, it may have caused a sense of confusion, dread, or self-insecurity,” wrote TechCrunch yesterday. “Before one spirals into a series of apologies or deep-depression, it’s likely not your fault, (whew!).”
Calm down, everyone. Did you hear him? It’s not your fault.
A bug alert in Twitter’s Help Center reads: “A person you’ve recently followed shows in your following tab, but appears with a follow icon so it looks like you’re not following them, as shown in the image below. Visit their profile if you’d like to confirm you’re following them.”
The bug seems small, but its implications are enormous. Imagine the insecurity and self-loathing that can spring from noticing your best friends unfollowed you.
“Wow, I’ve got to forgive a bunch of ex-friends,” quipped @RubenBolling.
@LOLGOP had a different take: “Breaking: Twitter ‘unfollow bug’ is now an excellent excuse.”
This bug is obviously the worst thing to happen to the Internet–nay, the world–in quite some time. We wish you all well during these trying circumstances.