March 6, 2024. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, experienced a global outage that impacted hundreds of thousands of users. The disruption lasted for more than two hours and affected both platforms. Users reported being unable to log in during this time. The outage was caused by a technical issue, but there is no evidence of any specific malicious intent.
At its peak, there were over 550,000 reports of disruptions for Facebook and approximately 92,000 for Instagram. The White House National Security Council monitored the situation but did not identify any cyber attacks at that time.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone acknowledged the issue and stated that they had resolved it for everyone impacted. However, specific details about the technical problem were not provided
But what were the consequences for Meta and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg?
The Outage Details:
- Facebook: The outage began around 8:57 PM (local time) and resulted in approximately 15,381 reports of disruptions.
- Instagram: Around the same time, Instagram faced a similar outage, with as many as 32,537 reports.
- Peak Impact: The issue peaked around 9:30 PM (local time), with a staggering 500,000 reports of outages for Facebook and 70,000 reports for Instagram. Notably, Meta’s WhatsApp remained unaffected.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Losses:
- Speculation: While the exact cost to Meta remains unconfirmed, it is estimated that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s founder and CEO, lost over $100 million (Rs 832 crore) during this outage.
- Market Value Decline: Meta’s stock value took a hit, losing approximately $18 billion (roughly £14 billion) in total.
- Personal Impact: Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth dipped by nearly $3 billion in a single day due to the outage.
Technical Issues and Restoration:
- Cause: Meta attributed the outage to “technical issues” but did not provide further details.
- Acknowledgment: Meta spokesperson Andy Stone acknowledged the problem and assured users that they were working to resolve it.
- Global Restoration: After two long hours, Meta successfully restored services globally, allowing users to regain access to their accounts.
Elon Musk’s Playful Remark:
- Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter) and Mark Zuckerberg’s rival, couldn’t resist a playful jab. He posted, “If you’re reading this post, it’s because our servers are working” on X during the outage.
Conclusion:
Meta’s outage serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of our digital lives. While the financial losses are substantial, the swift restoration of services demonstrates Meta’s commitment to its massive user base of 3.19 billion daily active users across various apps. As the tech world continues to evolve, even giants like Meta occasionally stumble, but they rise again to keep our virtual world spinning.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is based on available online reports and estimates. Actual figures may vary.
