Kristina Roberts
Amazon’s cloud division, AWS, suffered a massive global outage that disrupted many popular websites and apps like Snapchat, Reddit, and Duolingo. The issue, which began in the U.S., affected businesses and users across the world. Though services slowly started recovering, AWS continued to face errors and connectivity problems.
On Monday, Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon, faced one of its biggest technical breakdowns in recent times. The outage caused widespread chaos across the internet, shutting down or slowing thousands of websites and apps used daily by millions of people. From social media platforms like Snapchat and Reddit to educational apps like Duolingo and gaming sites like Roblox, the impact was seen everywhere. Businesses that depend on AWS for their online operations also suffered disruptions, leaving many people frustrated and confused.
This incident is being compared to last year’s massive CrowdStrike malfunction that had crippled banks, hospitals, and airports across various countries. The AWS problem has once again shown how deeply the world relies on a few major technology providers. When one of them faces a technical fault, the effects are felt almost instantly in every corner of the globe.
The trouble began early on Monday when users across the world started reporting that their favorite apps and websites were not working properly. Many thought it was a problem with their own devices or internet connection. But soon, it became clear that the issue was much larger. AWS later confirmed that there was a major outage affecting several of its services.
In an update shared on its official status page, the company said, “We can confirm significant API errors and connectivity issues across multiple services … We are investigating.” This meant that many of the systems that power applications and websites hosted on AWS were unable to connect properly, leading to crashes or slow performance.
By around 10:00 a.m. ET (1400 GMT), some apps and services had slowly started to come back online. However, AWS admitted that it was still facing “elevated errors,” meaning that while the situation was improving, it wasn’t yet fully under control. To speed up recovery and prevent overload, AWS introduced certain limits on the number of requests its platform could handle at one time.
Even though some applications, like Reddit and Roblox, were stabilizing according to the outage tracking site Downdetector, others such as Snapchat and Duolingo continued to struggle. Users of these platforms once again began facing issues later in the day. The stop-and-start nature of the recovery created a wave of frustration among people who rely heavily on these apps for communication, learning, and entertainment.
For many companies, AWS is not just another cloud provider—it’s the backbone of their daily operations. From hosting websites and databases to managing artificial intelligence tools, AWS handles enormous amounts of data for businesses of all sizes. So, when an issue like this occurs, it can paralyze multiple industries at once. Financial platforms, gaming networks, and even online stores experienced difficulties, reminding the world of how interconnected the digital ecosystem truly is.
Experts say this kind of outage highlights the growing dependency on cloud services. In today’s world, where almost everything from banking to shopping is done online, a small glitch in a major server can cause massive chaos. “It’s a domino effect,” explained one analyst. “When a big platform like AWS goes down, it doesn’t just affect one app—it affects hundreds of systems connected to it.”
People also took to social media to share their experiences. Many joked about having to take a break from their favorite apps, while others expressed concern about the world’s increasing reliance on just a few cloud giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Some business owners complained about losing customers or revenue during the downtime, while developers were under pressure to keep their services running smoothly despite the AWS problems.
The company’s engineers worked around the clock to restore all services. AWS provided frequent updates on its website, explaining what was being done and asking for patience. This transparency helped calm some of the frustration, though many users said they hoped for better backup systems in the future.
Technical problems like these are not new for AWS. The same U.S. site that experienced this latest issue has reportedly been involved in several previous outages too. That pattern has raised questions about whether Amazon needs to invest more in strengthening its infrastructure to prevent such incidents.
The outage also had financial effects. Even short periods of downtime can cost millions of dollars for global companies that rely on AWS. Analysts noted that such events could shake customer confidence, especially among businesses that might consider switching to competitors for greater reliability.
However, despite the disruption, experts believe AWS will continue to dominate the cloud computing industry because of its size, reach, and technology. Amazon has built a massive network of data centers that power not only websites but also artificial intelligence tools, video streaming platforms, and online games. Recovering from an outage of this scale is not easy, but the company’s engineers have proven their ability to restore services efficiently in the past.
The event has also started discussions about whether the world’s digital infrastructure is too centralized. If so many apps and businesses depend on a handful of cloud providers, what happens when one of them faces technical trouble? Should countries and companies build their own backup systems to reduce dependence on a single service? These are the questions that experts and governments are now asking.
For ordinary people, the outage was a reminder of how much of daily life happens online. A few years ago, an internet issue might have caused mild inconvenience. But today, it can stop work, communication, learning, and entertainment all at once. The incident made many realize just how dependent modern life has become on invisible networks like AWS.
By evening, AWS was continuing its recovery efforts and promising to restore all affected systems soon. While most services were operational again, the day’s chaos left a strong mark on both businesses and users worldwide.
In the end, the AWS outage became more than just a technical problem—it became a lesson about the fragility of our digital world. As one tech expert put it, “We build our online lives on these massive cloud systems, but when they stumble, the whole internet feels the shake.”
The hope now is that Amazon and other cloud giants will learn from this event and take stronger steps to prevent similar disruptions in the future. For millions of users who were suddenly disconnected from their digital lives, one thing became clear: in a world powered by the cloud, even giants like Amazon are not untouchable.
