Social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) has been experiencing major disruptions today, marking the third significant outage within the past 24 hours. Users worldwide have reported issues accessing the platform, leading to speculation about the root cause of these recurring failures.
A Day of Disruptions
According to Downdetector, outage reports peaked above 40,000 during the second major disruption of the day. The issues ranged from users being unable to log in to the platform outright refusing to load. The latest, third outage, which is currently ongoing, has shown an even more sustained spike, leading to frustration among users and tech analysts alike.
The problems initially surfaced with a minor issue earlier today, which was swiftly resolved. However, the second outage saw a significantly higher surge of reports, with the third wave still showing no signs of resolution.
Widespread Impact Across the World.
The outages appear to be affecting users all over the world, with a concentration in major U.S. cities. New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Phoenix have reported some of the highest numbers of disruptions. However, Downdetector's heat map shows that smaller cities and rural areas have also been impacted, indicating a broad-scale issue rather than a localized one.
Possible Causes: DDOS Attacks?
Many online speculations suggest that X may be under a Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack. If true, this would explain the repeated crashes, as engineers at X struggle to fend off attackers who may be exploiting a vulnerability within the system. Some reports even claim that a group known as the "Dark Storm Team" has taken responsibility for the attacks, though there has been no official confirmation from X at this time.
Tesla Stock Also Takes a Hit
Adding to Elon Musk’s troubles, Tesla’s stock has seen a sharp decline, dropping 11% today alone. UBS analysts have recommended Tesla as a "sell" even at its current lower price, citing concerns about declining vehicle deliveries in 2025. The stock has plummeted by over 40% year-to-date, further intensifying challenges for Musk, who owns both Tesla and X.
What Users Can Do While X is Down
With X being unreliable today, many users have turned to alternative social media platforms. Bluesky, one of the fastest-growing alternatives, has seen a spike in activity, as users seek another outlet for their thoughts and news updates.
For those looking for different ways to pass the time, platforms like TikTok and YouTube provide alternative content consumption options. Meanwhile, Downdetector's comments section has ironically become a makeshift social media hub, with users sharing their frustration and theories about X’s outages.
How Long Will This Last?
If previous outages today are anything to go by, this disruption could last anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes before being resolved. However, given the frequency of today's incidents, it is uncertain whether this will be the final downtime or if more disruptions will follow.
X Remains Silent
So far, X has not provided any official statement regarding the outages. Attempts to contact X’s support team have been made, but no response has been received as of yet. This lack of transparency has further fueled frustration among users who rely on the platform for news, networking, and daily social interactions.