Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, experienced a major outage on Tuesday that affected millions of users worldwide. The outage prevented users from logging into their accounts or refreshing their feeds on social media platforms. Meta said it was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
What caused the outage?
The exact cause of the outage is still unclear, but Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said on X that it was related to login sessions. He said the company was aware of the problem and was working to fix it.
According to Netblocks, a London-based internet monitoring firm, the outage affected multiple countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Netblocks said that four Meta platforms—Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads—were experiencing outages related to login sessions.
The outage was also confirmed by Down Detector, a website that tracks internet traffic and disruptions. Down Detector reported that more than 300,000 users reported issues with Facebook, more than 40,000 with Instagram, and more than 20,000 with Messenger and Threads.
How did users react?
The outage sparked frustration and confusion among users, who took to other social media platforms, such as X and Reddit, to complain and joke about the situation. Some users said they had been logged out of their accounts and were unable to log back in. Others said they could not access their messages, stories, or posts on the platforms. Some users also reported seeing error messages or blank screens when they tried to use the apps.
Some users expressed concern about their privacy and security, wondering if their accounts had been hacked or compromised. Others speculated about the possible reasons for the outage, such as a cyberattack, a technical glitch, or a planned update. Some users also compared the outage to the one that occurred in October 2021, when Meta’s platforms went down for about six hours due to a configuration error.
Meta’s Response
Meta acknowledged the outage on its official X account and apologized for the inconvenience. The company said it was working to restore the services as quickly as possible and thanked users for their patience.
Meta also updated its status dashboard, which shows the health and performance of its platforms and services. The dashboard showed that the outage affected not only the social media platforms but also other Meta products, such as Workplace, Oculus, Portal, and WhatsApp Business API.
Meta did not provide an estimate of how long the outage would last or how many users would be affected. The company also did not comment on the potential impact of the outage on its revenue or reputation.
What are the implications of the outage?
The outage is the latest setback for Meta, which has been facing increasing scrutiny and criticism from regulators, lawmakers, activists, and users over its practices and policies. The company has been accused of harming democracy, spreading misinformation, enabling hate speech, violating privacy, and exploiting children.
It also highlights the dependence and vulnerability of millions of people and businesses on Meta’s platforms, which have become essential tools for communication, entertainment, information, and commerce. The outage could disrupt the activities and operations of many users, especially those who rely on Meta’s platforms for their work, education, or social lives.
The outage could also damage Meta’s brand and reputation, as well as its user trust and loyalty. The outage could erode users’ confidence in the reliability and security of Meta’s platforms and prompt them to seek alternative or backup options. The outage could also expose Meta to legal action or regulatory intervention if it is found to have violated any laws or regulations or caused any harm or loss to users or third parties.
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