Global Outage Disrupts X (Formerly Twitter) Services on March 10, 2025

 

Overview of the Outage

On March 10, 2025, X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, experienced a significant global outage that disrupted services for millions of users worldwide. The platform faced multiple disruptions throughout the day, affecting both mobile and desktop users.

Timeline of Events

• Early Morning Disruptions: The first signs of trouble appeared around 6:00 AM Eastern Time (ET), with users reporting issues accessing the platform. Downdetector, a service that monitors website outages, recorded over 40,000 reports during this period.

• Mid-Morning Peak: The situation escalated by 10:00 AM ET, with a peak of 41,000 outage reports. Users across various regions reported difficulties refreshing feeds, posting content, and utilizing search functions.

• Afternoon Resurgence: After a brief period of stability, the platform experienced another surge in outages around noon, with over 25,000 users affected.

Geographic Impact

The outages were most severe along the coastal regions of the United States. However, the disruption was global, with users from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world also reporting issues.

User Experience During the Outage

Users encountered various problems, including:

• Inability to refresh the main feed.
• Errors when attempting to post new content.
• Non-functional search features.
• Error messages such as "try again" or "something went wrong, try reloading."

Speculations and Company Response

There was widespread speculation about the cause of the outages. Some reports suggested a "massive cyberattack" targeting the platform.

However, as of now, X has not released an official statement confirming the exact cause of the disruptions.

Impact on Related Events

The timing of the outage coincided with significant events, notably the NFL's legal tampering period, during which teams negotiate with free agents. This overlap caused frustration among sports journalists and fans who rely on the platform for real-time updates.

Alternative Platforms

During the downtime, many users turned to alternative social media platforms, such as Meta's Threads, to share their experiences and seek information about the outage.

Historical Context

This incident is not isolated. Since Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform in 2022, X has experienced several widespread outages. The platform has also faced increased competition from new apps emerging in a polarized social media landscape.

Conclusion

The March 10, 2025, outage of X underscores the platform's vulnerability to technical disruptions, impacting millions of users globally. While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, the incident highlights the importance of reliable communication channels in today's digital age.