Major AWS Outage Disrupts Snapchat, Alexa, and More Services

URGENT UPDATE: A significant outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) has left millions without access to popular online services, including Snapchat, Signal, and Perplexity, as of early Monday morning, October 16, 2023. Reports indicate that at least 35 AWS tools are affected, disrupting numerous platforms reliant on AWS for cloud infrastructure.

Users began experiencing issues around 8:00 AM UTC, with DownDetector confirming widespread outages across various services, including Zoom, Strava, and Amazon’s own Alexa assistant. As the situation develops, users are expressing frustration on social media platforms, highlighting the urgency of the matter.

In a post on X, Aravind Srinivas, CEO of AI startup Perplexity, confirmed the outage’s cause, stating, “The root cause is an AWS issue. We’re working on resolving it.” This acknowledgment underscores the direct impact on businesses relying on AWS services.

As of this morning, Amazon has not released an official statement regarding the outage, and inquiries from media outlets, including Business Insider, are pending. The severity of this disruption raises concerns about the reliability of cloud services, which are increasingly integral to daily communication and operations.

The ongoing situation is being closely monitored, with updates expected as Amazon’s technical teams work to restore services. Users are advised to stay informed through official channels and social media for real-time updates.

This is a developing story. Check back for more updates as they become available.