In a wave of frustration rippling across the digital landscape, users worldwide found themselves locked out of Meta-owned platforms WhatsApp and Instagram late Wednesday night.

The outage, which commenced around 11:45 pm IST, left millions bewildered as they encountered error messages proclaiming the unavailability of the services.

Those attempting to access the apps or WhatsApp web version were greeted with a disheartening sight - a simple message stating, "Service currently unavailable." On Instagram, users were unable to refresh their feeds or catch up on the latest stories, leaving them stranded in a virtual void.

Downdetector, the vigilant sentinel of web outages, registered a significant surge in reports from frustrated users grappling with the inaccessible platforms. This incident marks the second major outage to afflict Meta-owned platforms this year, casting a shadow over the reliability of these digital behemoths.

Echoes of discontent still linger from March when Instagram, Facebook, and Threads found themselves shackled by similar technical woes. Users recounted tales of being abruptly booted from their accounts, with some finding themselves stranded without the means to log back in. For those fortified with two-factor authentication, the struggle to obtain login codes only compounded the frustration.

As the digital populace reels from yet another disruptive blackout, questions loom over Meta's ability to fortify its platforms against such recurring setbacks. With reliance on these communication channels at an all-time high, the repercussions of such outages reverberate far beyond the realms of mere inconvenience, underscoring the fragility of our digital infrastructure in an increasingly interconnected world.