Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, experienced widespread global outages lasting just over an hour on Thursday, disrupting the access of thousands of users. Downdetector.com, a service tracking online service outages, reported that more than 47,000 users in the US encountered difficulties accessing both X and X Pro.
The outage affected users not only in the United States but also in the UK and Asia, where individuals reported being unable to view posts on the site. A message displayed on the platform welcomed users to “X!”
X, now owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk who acquired Twitter for $44 billion last year, has not yet commented on the outage. The hashtag #TwitterDown quickly began trending as users took to social media to share their experiences and frustrations.
Despite the disruption, access to the platform was restored relatively quickly, with users regaining functionality after just over an hour of downtime.
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform, X has faced various challenges, including a decline in advertising revenue and allegations of hosting antisemitic content alongside advertisements. In response to these allegations, the company filed a lawsuit against Media Matters for America, a left-leaning pressure group that made the accusations.
Elon Musk’s management of X has been under scrutiny, with his public criticism of advertisers who left the platform and accusations of spreading disinformation. The European Union has formally raised concerns, suspecting X of violating its rules related to countering illegal content and disinformation.
The brief but widespread outage adds to the recent challenges faced by X and underscores the platform’s significance in global online communication. The company’s response and any potential long-term implications of the outage remain to be seen.
Kiki Garba
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