Users around the world are experiencing problems as a major internet outage disrupts services powered by Amazon

The internet outage is affecting millions of users as many popular apps and websites remain inaccessible, leaving people around the world unable to use platforms they rely on every day for work, entertainment, communication, and daily tasks.

Which apps and websites are affected?

Apps and websites impacted include:

  • Amazon
  • Canva
  • Duolingo
  • Snapchat
  • Ring
  • Roblox
  • Life360
  • MyFitnessPal
  • Prime Video
  • Fortnite
  • Wordle
  • Coinbase
  • PlayStation
  • Vodafone
  • Pokémon Go
  • HMRC
  • Xero

Reports from outage monitor Downdetector show thousands of users having trouble with Snapchat and Canva alone, while other platforms are seeing similar spikes in complaints. People in the UAE are also reporting difficulties accessing online banking and other essential services.

What caused the problem?

Amazon Web Services, which powers much of the internet’s infrastructure worldwide, says there are higher than normal error rates and slow responses in its US East data centre. Systems affected include Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, which are essential for running storage and server functions for many apps and websites.

When did it start?

The problems started around midday in the UAE, affecting users across the country who were trying to access popular apps and websites. The outage has continued since then, leaving many unable to use services they rely on for work, entertainment, and daily tasks. Because so many companies rely on Amazon’s cloud services, the outage is causing disruptions worldwide, including here in the UAE.

What users in the UAE should do

At the moment, services are still down. Users can check sites like Downdetector to see which apps are affected and follow updates on when they are expected to come back online.

Last month, users across the UAE experienced delays with browsing, streaming, and even video calls. The problem was traced to damaged undersea cables in the Red Sea, which took several weeks to repair.

Image: What’s On Archive