Facebook, Instagram and Messenger down? What caused the global outage?
Facebook, Instagram and Messenger down? Yes, on March 5th, 2024, users worldwide experienced a significant outage affecting three of Meta’s most prominent platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The disruption lasted for over two hours, leaving millions unable to access their accounts and connect with friends and family.
This event sparked various online discussions and speculations, but there’s no confirmation if it was related to any upcoming deadlines or internal changes within Meta. It’s important to rely on official communication from Meta for accurate information regarding the cause of such outages.
While the exact cause of the outage remains undisclosed, Meta acknowledged the issue in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), stating they were “working on this now”. The exact cause of the outage wasn’t officially disclosed by Meta, they did acknowledge it was a “technical issue” and apologized for the inconvenience.
The outage created confusion and frustration amongst users, many of whom took to alternative platforms like X to express their concerns and share memes about the situation. According to Downdetector, a website that tracks online service outages, reports surged past 300,000 for Facebook and 20,000 for Instagram.
Shortly after, Meta’s Head of Communications, Andy Stone, confirmed the issue had been resolved and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
The incident highlights the heavy reliance many individuals place on these platforms for communication, news, and entertainment. While the technical nature of the outage remains unclear, it serves as a reminder of the potential disruptions that can occur in the ever-evolving digital landscape.