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LinkedIn has clarified that the recent drop in follower counts experienced by users was due to a technical glitch, which has now been rectified.
On Tuesday, many LinkedIn users reported significant declines in their follower numbers, with some losing hundreds of followers in a short span. Initially, there was no official communication from LinkedIn, prompting speculation that the platform was conducting a purge of fake accounts.
Several users confidently asserted that the issue stemmed from LinkedIn’s initiative to eliminate inactive, duplicate, or fake accounts. Others took advantage of the situation to promote their services, claiming they could assist users in avoiding account bans.
Additionally, many users expressed confusion and concern over what actions might have led to such a drastic decrease in their follower counts.
Despite widespread belief that this was a deliberate purge by LinkedIn, the company later confirmed that it had investigated the matter and found it to be a bug. They stated that the issue has now been resolved without providing specific details on its cause.
“We heard some members may have seen a change in their connection and follower count. Our team quickly looked into this. We’re happy to report this has now been resolved,” stated LinkedIn in a post on X.
When asked for further information, LinkedIn directed inquiries to its Status page, which noted at 6 a.m. ET that some users were facing “issues with their follower and connection count.” The company updated this status later in the day, confirming resolution by 1 p.m. ET.
The notion that this follower drop could be linked to a purge was not entirely unfounded. Other social media platforms like X frequently carry out clean-ups to remove bots and inactive accounts.
For LinkedIn users, who often rely on their follower counts for professional visibility and credibility, such fluctuations can have serious implications for personal branding and business promotion.
Interestingly, the situation escalated partly because LinkedIn did not address the issue on its own platform or its X account, which has remained inactive since May of the previous year.