According to DownDetector, a site monitoring internet service outages, more than 500,000 reports of problems were received from U.S. Facebook users, along with over 70,000 reports of issues with Instagram as of 10:30 a.m. ET. The most common problems reported were related to logging into the Facebook app and encountering issues with the Instagram app.
In response to the technical issues, a Meta spokesman issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience caused and confirming the resolution of the problem as quickly as possible for affected users.
Reports of login difficulties spanned globally, from Egypt to Oklahoma, with some users expressing concerns about potential hacking due to being unexpectedly logged out of their accounts.
NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, confirmed that Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Threads, experienced outages related to login sessions across multiple countries, with no indication of country-level internet disruptions or filtering. However, WhatsApp, another Meta-owned platform, appeared unaffected.
The outage was deemed a “major outage incident” by NetBlocks, with even Meta’s official status page showing status “Unknown” during the service interruption.
While there is no evidence of any election-related or malicious cyber activity associated with the outage, it coincided with the approaching deadline for large technology companies to comply with the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act. Meta is undergoing changes to adhere to the law, although it remains unclear whether the outage is connected to these preparations.
