Users of Elon Musk‘s X platform, formerly Twitter, reported widespread service disruptions Tuesday afternoon, according to outage tracker Downdetector. Outage reports peaked at around 6:40 p.m. ET, with more than 7,500 incidents logged before users began to reaccess the platform normally.
Why It Matters
X, formerly Twitter, is a social media platform that has become a communication tool for news dissemination, public discourse and emergency updates. Frequent outages disrupt user experience and raise concerns about the platform’s reliability and infrastructure stability, especially given its reduced engineering workforce following Musk’s acquisition.
The disruption began around 6:00 p.m. ET, with Downdetector logging a surge in outage reports. By 6:40 p.m., reports peaked at over 7,500 incidents. Users reported issues such as the inability to load timelines, send messages, and access profiles.
The outage affected users globally, with significant reports from North America and Europe. Countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany saw a high volume of user complaints.
This incident marks the latest in a series of outages since Musk’s takeover in late 2022. Previous disruptions have been attributed to data center issues and cyberattacks, highlighting ongoing challenges in maintaining platform stability.
As of now, X has not issued an official statement regarding the cause of the outage. In past incidents, the company has cited technical difficulties and external attacks as reasons for service disruptions.
When Did X Last Have An Outage?
X faced renewed technical issues a week ago following a mass outage on Thursday, May 22.
Reports first spiked around 2 p.m. ET that day, according to DownDetector, which logged about 2,500 user complaints involving both desktop and mobile access. After briefly returning online Saturday morning, the platform experienced an even larger disruption later that day, with reports peaking at over 25,000.
Users cited problems, including login failures and undelivered direct messages. As of Saturday afternoon, service appeared to be restored, and many users reported full functionality had returned.
X has experienced significant outages in recent years, including multiple incidents under Elon Musk’s ownership. The disruptions have often impacted core features such as loading posts, notifications, and login access, and are frequently attributed to internal infrastructure changes or staffing reductions.
Twitter, launched in 2006, quickly became a central platform for global conversations, news sharing, and activism. After Musk acquired the platform in October 2022 for $44 billion, he implemented sweeping changes, including mass layoffs, rebranded it as “X” in mid-2023, and pushed a vision for an all-in-one app.
Experts and former employees have warned that reduced engineering staff and rapid shifts have left the platform vulnerable to technical breakdowns. Repeated service failures throughout 2023 and 2024 have echoed those concerns, further transforming how users engage with what was once Twitter.
Update 06/03/25 7:27 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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