Global AWS Outage Cripples Major Apps and Websites

A widespread Amazon Web Services outage disrupted major online platforms on Monday. The incident caused errors and downtime for services like Amazon Prime, Snapchat, and Duolingo. Users across the globe reported access issues for several hours.

According to Reuters, the outage stemmed from internal AWS service errors. The company’s status page acknowledged increased error rates. Engineers worked urgently to resolve the problem and restore full functionality.

Extensive List of Services Impacted

Downdetector recorded thousands of incident reports in the United States alone. The outage affected a vast array of digital services reliant on AWS cloud infrastructure. This demonstrates the deep integration of Amazon’s cloud platform in the modern internet.

Financial services like Robinhood and Coinbase experienced disruptions. Popular AI tools, including Perplexity AI and Claude, were also impacted. Even essential services like the British tax authority HMRC reported website failures.

Broader Impact on Digital Economy

The outage highlights the systemic risk posed by concentrated cloud infrastructure. A single point of failure at a major provider can have global consequences. This event echoes previous incidents that caused billions in economic damage.

For consumers, the disruption meant interrupted entertainment, communication, and work tools. It serves as a stark reminder of the internet’s fragile interdependence. Businesses are likely to re-evaluate their reliance on a single cloud vendor.

The global AWS outage exposed the critical dependency of the modern web on a few key cloud providers. This event will likely accelerate discussions about digital infrastructure resilience and redundancy for major online services.

Info at your fingertips

What caused the AWS outage?

The outage was caused by internal errors within Amazon’s own cloud services. The company has not released a detailed public root cause analysis. Engineers worked to resolve the issue and restore services.

Which major apps were down?

Major apps included Amazon Prime, Snapchat, Duolingo, and Coinbase. The list also featured services like The New York Times and Fortnite. Even financial platforms like Robinhood reported issues.

How long did the outage last?

Service disruptions lasted for several hours on Monday. Most platforms gradually restored functionality throughout the day. Full recovery timelines varied between different services.

Was user data compromised?

There is no evidence that the outage led to any data breaches. The issue was related to service availability, not security. Amazon has not indicated any data was at risk.

Why does an AWS outage affect so many sites?

Amazon Web Services holds about one-third of the global cloud market. Countless companies host their applications and data on its servers. This creates a single point of failure for a large part of the internet.