Snapchat, Duolingo crash! Massive AWS failure paralyses internet apps globally

A massive internet outage on Monday disrupted access to some of the world’s most-used apps and websites, including Snapchat, Duolingo, Canva, and Roblox, after a technical failure hit Amazon Web Services (AWS) — one of the internet’s largest cloud providers.

According to a status update from Amazon Web Services, the company identified “increased error rates and latencies for multiple AWS Services in the US-EAST-1 Region.” The issue, which began around 8am UK time (midnight Pacific), caused widespread downtime for several apps and digital services.

AWS engineers said they were “actively working on mitigating the issue and fully understanding the root cause.”

Major apps and platforms impacted

The outage’s ripple effect was felt globally, with thousands of users reporting problems on Downdetector. Over 5,000 complaints were recorded from Snapchat users alone, while disruptions also hit:

• Amazon

• Duolingo

• Canva

• Roblox

• Ring

• Life360

• MyFitnessPal

• Prime Video

• Fortnite

• Wordle

• Coinbase

• PlayStation

• Vodafone

• Pokémon Go

• HMRC and Xero

AWS said the issue originated in its cloud computing systems, particularly Amazon DynamoDB and Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) — key services responsible for powering data storage and server operations for many companies worldwide.

Global internet disruption

The breakdown highlights how heavily the global internet depends on AWS infrastructure. The company generated $108 billion in revenue last year, and any malfunction can ripple across multiple sectors — from banking and gaming to communication and entertainment.

Users in several regions, including Europe, the United States, and Asia, reported login failures, slow loading times, and app crashes.

AWS engineers working to restore services

As of the latest update, AWS engineers continue to restore systems and ensure stability across all affected regions. The company has yet to confirm the exact cause of the disruption but said it is prioritizing recovery and reliability.

Users have been advised to monitor official AWS status pages and Downdetector for live updates on service restoration.

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