A widespread outage in Amazon Web Services (AWS) has disrupted access to several major apps and websites across the world, affecting users of platforms such as Snapchat, Roblox, Canva, Fortnite, and Duolingo.
The disruption, which began on Monday evening, has triggered complaints from millions of users who reported difficulties connecting to various services through the monitoring website Down Detector. The affected platforms include not only social media and gaming applications but also banking, telecommunications, and productivity services that rely on AWS for cloud hosting.
Amazon confirmed the issue in a statement, saying its engineers were “actively working to identify and resolve the root cause of the disruption.”
While the company did not provide a specific timeline for full restoration, it assured users that efforts were underway to stabilise affected systems.
Among the most affected were entertainment and communication platforms such as Fortnite, Roblox, Tinder, and Signal, as well as work-related services including Slack, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoom. Several UK financial institutions, including Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and the Bank of Scotland, also reported service interruptions.
Telecommunication providers such as BT, Virgin Media, Vodafone, and EE were listed among those experiencing partial connectivity issues. Some users in Australia reported difficulties accessing Telstra and Optus networks. In addition, gaming and streaming services including Steam, Epic
Games Store, Tidal, and EA Games were temporarily inaccessible to many customers.
The outage extended to everyday digital services like Amazon Alexa, Blink Security, and Ring doorbell systems, with users unable to connect devices or view live feeds. Business tools such as Microsoft Teams and Xero were also affected, disrupting work communication and accounting operations in several regions.
AWS, a subsidiary of Amazon, provides cloud computing infrastructure for companies worldwide, allowing them to store data and run digital services without maintaining physical servers. Its clients include corporations, start-ups, government agencies, and public institutions.
According to AWS documentation, the company offers a wide range of cloud-based solutions, including computing power, storage, virtual desktops, data analytics, and software development tools. Many businesses rely on AWS for backup systems, disaster recovery, and hosting of customer-facing applications.
As of late Monday, Amazon had not disclosed the cause of the incident. However, cybersecurity analysts noted that the scale of the disruption underscored the growing dependence of global industries on a few major cloud service providers.
AWS outages, though rare, have previously caused significant ripple effects across digital ecosystems, affecting millions of users simultaneously.
Monday’s disruption again highlighted how deeply integrated cloud infrastructure has become with daily online life — from entertainment and finance to communication and essential services.
