A major global internet outage on Monday disrupted several of the world’s most-used apps and websites after a technical fault in Amazon Web Services (AWS) — one of the world’s largest cloud providers — caused widespread downtime.
According to an official AWS status update, engineers identified “increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS Services in the US-EAST-1 Region”, which began around 8 a.m. UK time (midnight Pacific).
The disruption affected several top digital platforms, leaving millions of users unable to access their favorite apps and services for hours. AWS engineers confirmed they were “actively working to mitigate the issue and understand the root cause.”
Major Apps and Platforms Affected
The outage had a far-reaching impact, with thousands of complaints pouring in via Downdetector. Over 5,000 Snapchat users reported access issues, while other major apps and websites were also affected, including:
- Amazon
- Duolingo
- Canva
- Roblox
- Ring
- Life360
- MyFitnessPal
- Prime Video
- Fortnite
- Wordle
- Coinbase
- PlayStation Network
- Vodafone
- Pokémon Go
- HMRC and Xero
Cause of the Outage
AWS attributed the issue to disruptions in its cloud computing infrastructure, specifically Amazon DynamoDB and Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) — essential services responsible for data storage and server operations for countless global companies.
The breakdown underscores the global internet’s heavy reliance on AWS, which generated over $108 billion in revenue last year. A single failure in its network can cascade across industries — from banking and gaming to entertainment and communication.
Global Impact
Users across Europe, the United States, and Asia reported login failures, app crashes, and slow performance. Businesses that depend on AWS for backend operations faced temporary downtime, while developers scrambled to manage disruptions.
As of the latest update, AWS engineers are working to restore full functionality and ensure system stability. The company has not yet revealed the exact cause of the failure but confirmed that recovery and reliability remain top priorities.
AWS has advised users to monitor its official status page and Downdetector for real-time updates on service restoration.
