In an unprecedented event, a massive glitch at Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook Inc., caused widespread outages across its suite of applications, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, along with Google’s platform on March 5, 2024.
The Outage
Reports started pouring in around 3:30 PM GMT, which is approximately 9:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), about users being unable to load the apps or websites as normal. Users were greeted with error messages stating “something went wrong” and were advised to try again later. In some cases, users found themselves logged out and were unable to sign back in, even when using their correct password.
The issues seemed to have started after 10 AM ET, which is approximately 8:30 PM IST. However, Meta’s business status page only showed results related to Meta’s business products, like Ads Manager, not the platforms as a whole.
We're aware people are having trouble accessing our services. We are working on this now.
— Andy Stone (@andymstone) March 5, 2024
The Impact
This widespread outage is highly unusual for Meta, given the size and scale of its network and the redundancies built in. The timing of the outage raised suspicions, as it coincided with Super Tuesday, a significant day for voter outreach efforts in the United States.
Other Affected Platforms
Unusually, the issues coincided with login problems on Google’s platform, suggesting a common cause between the outages at two tech conglomerates who largely control their own infrastructure. Google’s ads status page reported a disruption to the company’s Ad Manager beginning at about 3:30 PM GMT, which is approximately 9:00 PM IST.
Looking Ahead
As of now, the cause of the outage remains unknown. Both Meta and Google have been contacted for comment. This incident underscores the vulnerability of our digital infrastructure and the need for robust contingency plans.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.