Quick Read
- A major AWS outage disrupted websites and apps worldwide on October 20, 2025.
- Services affected included Amazon, Snapchat, Delta Air Lines, UK banks, and more.
- The root cause was a DNS issue with DynamoDB in AWS’s Virginia data center.
- Most operations were restored within hours, but some users faced ongoing issues.
- A separate power outage at Emerson Hospital led to postponed surgeries.
Amazon Web Services Outage Sparks Global Disruption
Early Monday morning, millions of people woke to find some of the world’s most popular websites and apps suddenly inaccessible. At the heart of this disruption was Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing powerhouse behind much of the internet’s daily operations. The outage rippled across continents, affecting not just entertainment and shopping, but also financial services and even hospital procedures, exposing just how interconnected—and vulnerable—our digital infrastructure has become.
What Happened and Who Was Affected?
AWS first reported “increased error rates and latencies” in the early hours, with the trouble centering on its DynamoDB service in the US-EAST-1 region, based in Virginia. According to DownDetector, the impact spread rapidly: websites and apps like Amazon itself, Snapchat, Facebook, and Reddit were hit hard. Gaming platforms including Fortnite, Roblox, and Clash of Clans saw a flood of users unable to log in, while video streaming services such as Hulu and Disney+ also faltered.
Social media platforms weren’t the only ones feeling the strain. In the United States, air travel websites for Delta and United Airlines reported glitches, though flights themselves were not disrupted. Telecommunications giant AT&T experienced issues, and Microsoft365, Duolingo, Hinge, Ring, Zoom, and Slack all saw spikes in connectivity problems. In Europe, major UK banks—Lloyds, Halifax, Bank of Scotland—struggled to provide online access, with customers receiving error notices while trying to log in. Even government services weren’t immune: the UK’s HMRC tax portal and the official Gov.uk site went down.
The list of affected services was daunting: Venmo, Coinbase, Signal, Canva, Tidal, PokemonGo, Strava, WhatsApp, and more. The outage was so far-reaching that it even disrupted Lyft’s app for thousands of US users and caused headaches for mobile operators across Europe.
Inside the Outage: Technical Root and Response
So, what exactly went wrong? Amazon engineers traced the problem to a DNS (Domain Name System) issue affecting the DynamoDB API endpoint in their Virginia data center. DNS acts as the internet’s phone book—translating website names into IP addresses. When it fails, services relying on AWS can’t connect, leaving users staring at error screens.
Amazon’s response was swift. “We continue to work towards full resolution and will provide updates as we have more information to share,” AWS stated, assuring customers that the underlying DNS issue had been “fully mitigated” by mid-morning. However, some requests were still throttled while engineers worked through a backlog, especially with services like Cloudtrail and Lambda that handle crucial cloud operations.
The outage’s sheer scale was a stark reminder of AWS’s central role in today’s digital ecosystem. Competing with Google and Microsoft, AWS powers countless services—when it stumbles, the web feels the tremor. The disruption has been described as the largest since the CrowdStrike failure the previous year, which had crippled hospitals, banks, and airports worldwide (DW).
Real-World Consequences: Beyond the Web
While most headlines focused on digital platforms, the outage’s effects were felt in unexpected places. At Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, a separate but equally disruptive power failure forced the rescheduling of elective surgeries. According to Emerson Health President Christine Schuster, backup generators activated immediately, keeping essential services online. Yet, out of caution, surgeries were postponed, leaving patients like Larry Beck frustrated but understanding. “I would have appreciated more communication about what went wrong,” Beck said, reflecting a common sentiment among those affected.
Hospital administrators praised local utility and fire department teams for their quick response, highlighting the importance of robust contingency planning in critical sectors. By October 8, all postponed procedures had been rescheduled, but the incident underscored how even brief outages can disrupt lives and require rapid adaptation.
Why Does a Cloud Outage Matter So Much?
It’s easy to overlook the invisible architecture behind the websites and apps we use daily. AWS, like other cloud providers, offers the computing backbone for everything from banking to entertainment. When a DNS issue brings down its services, the consequences cascade—businesses lose access to essential tools, financial transactions are delayed, and communications grind to a halt.
The outage also raised questions about risk management. As companies and institutions become more reliant on a handful of cloud providers, a single technical glitch can snowball into a global event. The UK government’s incident response arrangements kicked in, and banks rushed to reassure customers. Signal’s CEO, Meredith Whittaker, noted that their messaging app was down “for some people,” advising patience as AWS worked on a fix (Al Jazeera).
For smaller startups and large enterprises alike, the lesson is clear: redundancy and preparedness are critical. As Aravind Srinivas, CEO of AI platform Perplexity, posted, “Perplexity is down right now. The root cause is an AWS issue. We’re working on resolving it.” Transparency, timely communication, and technical resilience are now more essential than ever.
Restoration and Ongoing Challenges
By midday, Amazon announced that most operations were “succeeding normally,” but the restoration process wasn’t instantaneous. Some users continued to experience slow connections or intermittent outages, as AWS worked through accumulated backlog events. Recommendations included flushing DNS caches to resolve lingering access issues.
As the world becomes ever more dependent on cloud infrastructure, even brief outages have the power to disrupt daily life, business operations, and even healthcare. While AWS engineers managed to identify and mitigate the root cause quickly, the incident served as a wake-up call: digital resilience is not just a technical challenge but a societal necessity.
The AWS outage revealed the fragility of our digital ecosystem, where a single point of failure can send shockwaves through industries and communities worldwide. As cloud infrastructure becomes ever more central to modern life, organizations must invest in robust contingency plans and transparent communication to minimize the impact of inevitable disruptions.