Major Outage at Amazon Web Services Disrupts Snapchat Prime Video and Fortnite

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Major Outage at Amazon Web Services Disrupts Snapchat Prime Video and Fortnite

A major outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) affected multiple popular platforms and applications on Monday morning. Users reported difficulties accessing services including Snapchat, Fortnite, Airbnb, and Coinbase due to the disruption. This incident highlights the significant reliance many companies have on major tech providers.

Impact of the AWS Outage

The outage began at approximately 07:11 GMT, with users experiencing significant issues connecting to various platforms. Not only did popular games like Roblox and Brawl Stars face disruptions, but financial services were also impacted. A spokesperson from Lloyds Bank in the UK confirmed that their services were affected by AWS-related issues.

Streaming and Social Media Platforms Affected

  • Snapchat
  • Fortnite
  • Prime Video
  • Reddit
  • Coinbase

According to Downdetector, users faced challenges accessing streaming services, including Prime Video, which is owned by Amazon. Many businesses experienced interruptions, forcing them to seek solutions quickly.

Progress on Recovery

By 09:30 GMT, signs of recovery were noted, with AWS stating that most services were returning to normal operations. The primary issue stemmed from a DNS error related to its critical infrastructure in the US-EAST-1 region, located in northern Virginia.

Expert Opinions on Dependency on AWS

The outage has raised concerns about the dependency on a few major cloud service providers. Junade Ali, a cybersecurity expert, pointed out the challenges posed by reliance on foreign service providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. He suggested that businesses should reconsider outsourcing essential infrastructure to minimize risks.

Financial analyst Michael Hewson echoed this sentiment, questioning the wisdom of seeking cost savings by relying on a limited number of third-party providers. He emphasized the potential vulnerabilities this reliance creates for companies.

Historical Context of IT Outages

This incident is not isolated. In July 2024, a significant software update failure impacted various organizations globally, highlighting the risks associated with extensive reliance on technology. According to Microsoft, around 8.5 million devices were affected, with users encountering issues that rendered their systems unusable.

As businesses continue to leverage cloud services, the importance of understanding and mitigating risks associated with outages remains crucial.