Follow this dead-simple guide to force any Twitter user—from Oprah to Kutcher—to follow you. No, seriously. (Update: Here's what happened.) 
 
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 I have no idea how a hole this large could be left in a service as popular as Twitter, nor do I understand why it hasn't been shut yet. What I do understand, though, is that Oprah is following me right now, and receiving my DMs. So anyway, here's how it works: 
 
 1. Open the Twitter web interface (I haven't been able to get it to work in the apps I've tried) 
 
 2. Tweet "accept username", as in "accept oprah" 
 
 
 
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 3. Wait a few seconds. You may get a server error, but that means it's worked. 
 
 4. Check your followers list 
 
 5. !!! 
 
 This command is either a remnant of a system that isn't in use anymore, or exposes something fundamental about the way Twitter works. (Typing "follow username" lets you follow someone, too.) Either way, ha, holy shit. Let us know how it works—and when it stops—in the comments. 
 
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 UPDATE: Twitter is apparently already on the case: Most accounts are currently showing 0 followers and 0 followed, so there's no way to tell if the trick still works. More as we get it. 
 
 
 
 UPDATE II: Says Twitter: 
 
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 UPDATE III: Looks like it's over, but there's still quite a mess to clean up. 
 
 UPDATE III: Following/Follower counts are back, but anyone you force-followed is still listed. 
 
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 —Thanks, Bora Kırca and Güntekin! 

 Follow bug discovered, remedied. 5 years ago 
 
 We identified and resolved a bug that permitted a user to “force" other users to follow them. We’re now working to rollback all abuse of the bug that took place. Follower/following numbers are currently at 0; we’re aware and this too should shortly be resolved. 
 
 Update (10:18 AM PST): Of note: protected updates did not become public as a result of this bug. 
 
 Update (2:42 PM PST): We’re continuing work on rolling back abuse of the bug; in the meantime, if there’s folks you’re following that you didn’t choose to follow, you can block them or unfollow them. 
 
 Update (6:30 PM PST): We’ve finished our cleanup of the spurious followings generated a result of this bug. If you are still seeing folks you are following who you didn’t choose to follow, please use the block or unfollow tools to remedy. 
 

– If your Twitter account lists no followers or follow-ees, thank the happy-go-lucky iPhone acquirers at Gizmodo, who tipped the tech world to a vulnerability this morning. It's no longer working, but the web interface allowed the attention-starved to type "accept" and the Twitter name of any account, thereby gaining a follower—and the attendant direct-messaging capability. "I have no idea how a hole this large could be left in a service as popular as Twitter, nor do I understand why it hasn't been shut yet," wrote John Herrman. Well, it has now. "The Following 0 issue is temporary and will be resolved," co-founder Biz Stone tweeted. " We’re now working to rollback all abuse of the bug, " says the Twitter blog. Among the affected: Conan O'Brien, who famously follows only one person but at one point was listed as following more than 300.