The modern internet, though vast and advanced, remains surprisingly delicate. A minor technical fault or human error can disrupt millions of users worldwide, revealing how dependent our lives have become on digital systems.
On October 20, 2025, a technical error in a database service operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS) caused widespread outages across several online platforms. AWS, one of the largest cloud computing providers globally, hosts the infrastructure behind thousands of popular websites and apps. As a result, users found services such as Roblox, Fortnite, Pokémon Go, Snapchat, Slack, and multiple banking platforms temporarily inaccessible. The incident showed how a single malfunction in a key cloud system can paralyze numerous organizations at once.
Such disruptions are not new. In July 2024, a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike crashed around 8.5 million Windows computers globally, producing the infamous “blue screen of death.” Airlines had to cancel tens of thousands of flights, hospitals postponed surgeries, and emergency services across the United States faced interruptions. Businesses reverted to manual operations, with some even switching to cash transactions. The event became a global lesson in how a single rushed software update can cripple essential infrastructure.
History provides many similar warnings. In 1997, a technical glitch at Network Solutions Inc., a major domain registrar, temporarily disabled every website ending in “.com” and “.net.” Though the number of websites was smaller then, the event marked the first large-scale internet failure, showing how dependent the digital world had already become on centralized systems.
Some outages, however, have stemmed from physical damage. In 2011, an elderly woman in Georgia accidentally cut through a fiber-optic cable while scavenging for copper, disconnecting the entire nation of Armenia from the internet. The incident exposed how a single damaged cable could isolate millions of users. Similarly, in 2017, a construction vehicle in South Africa severed a key line, knocking Zimbabwe offline for hours. Even undersea cables face threats, with sharks and other marine life occasionally biting through them, forcing companies like Google to reinforce cables with protective materials.
In 2022, Canada witnessed one of its largest connectivity failures when telecom provider Rogers Communications experienced a system breakdown that halted internet and phone services for roughly a quarter of the country. Emergency calls, hospital appointments, and digital payments were affected nationwide, highlighting the deep societal consequences of a single network failure.
Experts warn that such events will keep occurring. As networks grow more interconnected, even a small mistake or single-point failure can spread rapidly. Cybersecurity analysts emphasize the need for stronger redundancy, slower software rollouts, and diversified cloud dependencies to prevent global disruptions.
The internet connects nearly every part of modern life, yet these incidents remind us that it remains vulnerable. Whether caused by human error, faulty code, or damaged cables, the web’s fragility shows why constant vigilance, better infrastructure planning, and verified information are essential to keeping the world online.
