UPDATE: Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently recovering from a significant outage that disrupted thousands of websites and popular apps, including Snapchat and Reddit. The outage, which began earlier today, has affected millions globally and is being described as the largest internet disruption since last year’s CrowdStrike incident.
As of 6 AM ET (9 PM AEDT), AWS reported “significant signs of recovery” after approximately three hours of downtime. Most affected services are gradually coming back online, with AWS stating that “most requests should now be succeeding” as they work through a backlog.
Over 4 million users reported issues via outage tracking site Downdetector, with peak reports showing more than 22,000 issues for Snapchat alone. Other impacted platforms include Roblox, streaming service Max, and payment platform Venmo.
Despite the recovery, several major services remain affected, including social media app Reddit and financial platform Chime. Prominent companies like AI startup Perplexity, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and trading app Robinhood have also confirmed disruptions linked to AWS. Even Amazon’s own services, such as its shopping platform and Prime Video, faced issues, although the severity appears to be easing.
Experts are weighing in on the implications of this outage. Junade Ali, a cyber expert, indicated that the issue likely stemmed from one of AWS’s networking systems. “This should be able to be mitigated over the coming hours unless further issues arise,” he said.
In the United Kingdom, banks such as Lloyd Bank and Bank of Scotland, along with telecom giants Vodafone and BT, are experiencing service disruptions, according to Downdetector’s UK site. The outage underscores the vulnerabilities of our interconnected digital infrastructure, with experts stressing that reliance on a few major cloud providers leaves many services at risk.
“It highlights how dependent we are on these cloud services,” stated Nishanth Sastry from the University of Surrey. “A single glitch can disrupt business and daily life on a massive scale.”
As AWS continues to restore functionality, users are advised to stay updated on the situation. The tech giant is competing with Google and Microsoft in the cloud services sector, and this outage raises critical questions about the reliability of such essential technology.
For now, the focus remains on recovery efforts, with users eager for a return to normalcy. Stay tuned for more updates as they develop.
