Global Internet Outage Affects Millions of Users Across the World

Strategic Insights -

A widespread internet outage has hit millions of users around the world, impacting numerous popular websites and apps, including Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, Duolingo, and Canva. The issue, which began around 8 am, is believed to be related to a problem at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud company that provides infrastructure for much of the modern internet. As of 10:40 am, Amazon reported "significant signs of recovery," with most requests now succeeding, although a backlog of queued requests continues to be worked through.

Key Takeaways:

  • The outage affected numerous popular websites and apps, including Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, Duolingo, and Canva, with over 30 apps and websites reportedly experiencing issues.
  • The issue is believed to be related to a problem at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud company that provides infrastructure for much of the modern internet.
  • Amazon reported "significant signs of recovery" as of 10:40 am, with most requests now succeeding, although a backlog of queued requests continues to be worked through.
  • The outage is understood to be impacting users worldwide, despite initial concerns that the issue was limited to a specific facility in northern Virginia.
  • The cause of the outage is still unclear, but Amazon has reported "increased error rates" and delays with "multiple AWS services."
  • A number of organizations, including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Virgin Media, and Bank of Scotland, were also impacted by the outage.

Statistics:

  • Over 30 apps and websites, including those listed above, were reportedly experiencing issues due to the outage.
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides infrastructure for over 70% of the modern internet, making it a critical component of the global digital ecosystem.
  • The outage began around 8 am and was still impacting users as of 10:40 am, with some reports of continued disruptions.
  • AWS reported "increased error rates" and delays with "multiple AWS services," although the exact cause of the outage remains unclear.
  • The outage is believed to have impacted users worldwide, with reports of disruptions in the United States, Europe, and other regions.

Sources:

  • Scotsman.com: "Internet outage: Snapchat, Roblox, Fortnite, and other popular apps and websites hit by issues" (https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/internet-outage-snapchat-roblox-fortnite-5366048)
  • Amazon Web Services: AWS Service Health Dashboard (https://status.aws.amazon.com/)