March 25, 2025 – Millions of users across the United States were left frustrated today as a social media outage struck Meta’s leading platforms, Facebook and Instagram. The social media outage began at approximately 9:00 a.m. ET, causing disruptions that prevented users from logging in, viewing comments, and interacting with posts.
Reports from Downdetector confirmed that thousands of users were affected by the social media outage, making it one of the most significant disruptions to hit Meta’s platforms in recent months.
Extent of the Social Media Outage
The social media outage impacted both Facebook and Instagram, with Instagram appearing to be the most affected. More than 500 Instagram accounts experienced issues, particularly related to missing comments and post engagement.
On Facebook, users faced a variety of problems, including:
- 42% of users unable to access the website
- 34% experiencing login failures
- 25% struggling with the mobile app
The social media outage quickly became a trending topic, with frustrated users flocking to other platforms to report the disruption.
What Causes a Social Media Outage?
Meta has not yet released an official statement on the cause of the social media outage, but experts suggest several possible reasons for the widespread disruption:
1. Software and System Bugs
- A social media outage can occur when software updates introduce unexpected glitches.
- A faulty system patch or backend misconfiguration may have contributed to today’s social media outage.
2. Server and Hardware Failures
- The scale of today’s social media outage suggests that Meta’s infrastructure may have experienced server overload or hardware failures.
- Data center disruptions or power failures could also be responsible for the social media outage.
3. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and DNS Errors
- Past social media outages have been linked to BGP routing failures, which disconnect platforms from the internet.
- DNS (Domain Name System) issues may also have played a role in today’s social media outage.
4. Human Errors and Maintenance Issues
- Many social media outages occur due to accidental misconfigurations during maintenance.
- If network engineers made an error while updating Meta’s servers, this could explain the social media outage.
5. Cybersecurity Threats (Unconfirmed)
- While there is no evidence that hacking caused today’s social media outage, cyberattacks remain a possibility.
- DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks have previously led to social media outages, and experts are investigating whether this was a factor.
User Reactions to the Social Media Outage
As the social media outage continued, thousands of users turned to X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit to vent their frustrations.
Some viral posts regarding the social media outage included:
- “Instagram is down. Facebook is down. What is happening? This social media outage is ruining my day!”
- “Another day, another social media outage. Maybe I should start writing letters instead.”
- “This social media outage just made me realize how addicted I am to scrolling.”
Meme culture also exploded during the social media outage, with users posting jokes about Meta’s repeated technical failures.
Businesses and Influencers Affected by the Social Media Outage
For businesses, the social media outage was not just an inconvenience but a financial setback. Many companies rely on Facebook and Instagram for marketing and customer engagement.
- E-commerce businesses reported revenue losses due to the social media outage preventing them from reaching customers.
- Influencers and content creators saw disruptions in their daily engagements and scheduled posts.
- Digital marketers were forced to delay ad campaigns because of the ongoing social media outage.
A business owner complained, “This social media outage cost us hours of customer engagement. Meta needs to ensure these issues don’t keep happening!”
Meta’s Response and Current Status of the Social Media Outage
As of 11:00 a.m. ET, reports indicate that Meta has started resolving the social media outage. Some users are regaining access to their accounts, but full restoration is still in progress.
Meta has not yet provided a detailed explanation for the social media outage, leaving users and businesses waiting for an official response. Newsweek has reached out to Meta for clarification but has yet to receive a reply.
Previous Social Media Outages: A Growing Concern
This social media outage is the latest in a series of disruptions that have affected Meta’s platforms over the years:
- October 4, 2021 – A six-hour social media outage shut down Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp due to a BGP routing failure.
- March 13, 2019 – A 14-hour social media outage impacted millions of users globally.
- April 8, 2023 – Facebook and Instagram experienced a widespread but brief social media outage.
With each social media outage, concerns grow over Meta’s ability to maintain reliable service.
Conclusion: How Will Meta Prevent Future Social Media Outages?
As today’s social media outage highlights, billions of users depend on Meta’s platforms for communication, business, and entertainment. If Meta does not address the recurring issues causing social media outages, users may begin looking for alternative platforms.
For now, businesses and users affected by the social media outage will have to wait for an official response from Meta. Until then, today’s social media outage serves as a reminder of how dependent the world has become on digital platforms.