The outage of Meta-owned platforms WhatsApp and Instagram late Wednesday night caused frustration and bewilderment among users worldwide. Beginning around 11:45 pm IST, millions encountered error messages indicating the unavailability of the services. Users attempting to access the apps or WhatsApp web version were met with a simple message stating, “Service currently unavailable.” Similarly, Instagram users couldn’t refresh their feeds or view stories, leaving them stranded in a virtual void.

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Down detector, a platform monitoring web outages, saw a significant surge in reports from frustrated users struggling with the inaccessible platforms. This incident marks the second major outage to hit Meta-owned platforms this year, raising concerns about their reliability. Memories of a similar outage in March, affecting Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, still linger. Users recounted being abruptly logged out of their accounts, with some unable to log back in, especially those with two-factor authentication.

As users grapple with another disruptive blackout, questions arise about Meta’s ability to strengthen its platforms against recurring setbacks. Given the high reliance on these communication channels, such outages underscore the fragility of our digital infrastructure in an increasingly interconnected world.