On September 25, 2024, Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, faced significant service disruptions affecting Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Users began reporting issues around 9:57 a.m. PST, with over 100,000 users encountering problems by 10:11 a.m. PST, as noted by Downdetector, a site that tracks online outages.
Meta confirmed the issues through a post on X, acknowledging the “technical issue” impacting user access and expressing their commitment to restoring services promptly. They stated, “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.”
As the day progressed, Meta continued to update users on the situation. Their afternoon post indicated they were close to resolving the issues, stating they were “99% of the way there – just doing some last checks.” Shortly after, Instagram announced that services were restored, thanking users for their patience with the message, “Andddd we’re back — sorry for the wait, and thanks for bearing with us.”
This outage mirrored a similar incident that occurred in March 2024, coinciding with the Super Tuesday U.S. presidential primaries, highlighting the potential impact of such disruptions on large-scale events.
While service interruptions can be frustrating, they also remind us of the reliable efforts companies like Meta make to resolve technical challenges swiftly. As users return to their favorite platforms, this serves as an opportunity for Meta to strengthen its infrastructure and ensure a smoother experience in the future.
Overall, Meta’s transparency and promptness in communicating during the outage reflect their commitment to maintaining user trust and improving service continuity.