In a sweeping outage, Meta’s social media trifecta – Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram – has gone down worldwide, causing frustration for hundreds of thousands of users who find themselves unable to access these platforms. Internal systems at Facebook are reportedly affected, potentially contributing to Tuesday’s widespread disruption, according to a source within the company.
Outage Timeline and Impact
The issues surfaced around 10:20 am ET, impacting all social media sites’ apps and websites. Users globally experienced disruptions, with the outage affecting not only personal accounts but also the functionality of Facebook’s internal systems. The News Feed on Instagram displayed error messages, compounding the access problems for users.
User Reports and DownDetector Data
DownDetector, a platform monitoring online outages, reveals the magnitude of the situation, with more than 200,000 users in the Americas reporting issues with Facebook, over 30,000 with Instagram, and just over 8,000 with Messenger. Glitches were particularly prevalent in major US cities like New York City, Boston, Chicago, and key locations in California, as indicated by DownDetector’s outage map.
Global Reach of the Outage
The outage is not confined to the United States; it has reverberated across the globe, affecting users in the UK, parts of Europe, China, Australia, and Mexico. The extent of the disruption underscores the interconnectedness and dependence on Meta’s social media platforms on a global scale.
Developing Story: Awaited Updates
As users grapple with being kicked out of their accounts and inability to log back in, this outage is a developing story with more updates expected. Facebook and Messenger glitches compounded the user experience, emphasizing the need for swift resolution to restore normalcy across the affected platforms.
Percentage Breakdown of App Issues
DownDetector’s data reveals that a significant portion of the reported problems relate to the apps’ functionality. Facebook faces issues for 72 percent of users, Instagram for 64 percent, and Messenger for 50 percent, highlighting the broad impact on Meta’s suite of social media services.
In conclusion, Meta’s global outage is a stark reminder of the digital age’s vulnerabilities, where disruptions ripple across continents. Users worldwide await further updates and a swift resolution to bring these essential social media platforms back online. Stay tuned for more developments as this situation evolves.
