Instagram and Facebook Experience Widespread Outages
In the early hours of today, social media behemoths Instagram and Facebook encountered widespread issues, leaving users worldwide frustrated and disconnected. According to reports from DownDetector, a website monitoring online outages, thousands of users experienced difficulties accessing Instagram around 1.30 a.m. UTC. Concurrently, there were reports of problems with the Facebook app itself, affecting about one hundred users.
User Frustrations and Technical Glitches
Users attempting to open Instagram were greeted with error messages stating "Something went wrong" and "There's an issue and the page could not be loaded," rendering the app unusable for many. Similar issues plagued Facebook, with numerous users struggling to access the platform. Reports indicated that the outages were not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering, as confirmed by internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
Scope of the Outages
As of 2 a.m. UTC, more than fifteen thousand users had reported issues with Instagram, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem. Users shared their frustrations, citing instances of the app crashing, displaying only a few comments before showing a blank page, and experiencing difficulties in profile switching and photo uploading. The outage also impacted Messenger group chats, hindering users from managing Facebook group member requests.
Relief Amidst Disruption
Around 2.53 a.m. UTC, there were reports of Instagram resuming functionality for some users, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the disruption. However, major cities across the globe reported Instagram outages, underscoring the scale of the issue. MetaStatus, another monitoring website, reported major disruptions to the Messenger API for Instagram, although it reassured users of continued access to WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook.
Losses Incurred Due to Downtime
The downtime of Instagram and Facebook, two of the largest social media platforms globally, entails various losses. Users experience frustration and disconnection from their online communities, impacting social interactions and communication. For businesses and influencers, it disrupts marketing campaigns, customer engagement, and sales. Furthermore, the companies themselves may face reputational damage and financial losses due to decreased user activity and ad revenue.
Despite the significant impact of the outages, Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has not issued an official statement regarding the issues, leaving users and stakeholders seeking answers and reassurance.
