Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that it has “fully mitigated” a major global outage that disrupted several leading websites and applications, including Snapchat, Facebook, Fortnite, Canva, and Coinbase, affecting millions of users worldwide.
According to Downdetector, which tracks online disruptions, the outage began in the early hours of Monday and spread rapidly across continents, affecting businesses, social media platforms, streaming services, and even banking operations. Users of Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Delta Airlines also reported service interruptions.
AWS later confirmed that the problem stemmed from a Domain Name System (DNS) issue that caused widespread connectivity failures in its US-EAST-1 region, one of its key data hubs.
“The underlying DNS issue has been fully mitigated, and most AWS service operations are succeeding normally now,” the company said in its latest update. “Some requests may still be throttled as we work toward full resolution.”
Tech Expert: “AWS Sits in the Middle of Everything”
Technology analyst Lance Ulanoff from TechRadar told CNN that AWS serves as the backbone for much of the modern internet. “Amazon Web Services sits in the middle of everything,” he said. “When AWS goes down, so does a huge chunk of the web.”
He explained that millions of smart devices—such as home assistants, cameras, and automation systems—rely entirely on AWS for real-time connectivity. “They just don’t work without the internet. When you pull that big plug, everything basically becomes dumb,” Ulanoff noted.
Ripple Effects Across the Internet
The disruption also impacted AI firm Perplexity, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, and entertainment platforms like Disney+, Hulu, Roblox, and PlayStation.
Canva, the popular online design tool, reported “temporary service disruptions” but later confirmed recovery, saying, “Our teams are working closely with the provider to fully restore access.”
AWS Identifies Root Cause
AWS engineers identified the root cause of the failure and implemented parallel recovery paths to restore global access. The company said most global services are now functional but cautioned that “some regions may still experience increased error rates or latency.”
The outage drew comparisons to the 2024 CrowdStrike software failure, which grounded flights and disrupted hospitals globally. That event exposed the fragility of digital infrastructure and cost companies over $5 billion in direct losses.
A Reminder of Digital Dependence
Experts say the AWS outage highlights the world’s growing reliance on centralized cloud providers. AWS commands nearly 30% of the global cloud infrastructure market, serving more than 4 million business customers.
As systems recover, analysts are urging companies to strengthen backup and redundancy protocols to prevent similar large-scale disruptions.
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