Thousands of users of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have reported issues today (Wednesday, December 11).
Reports of problems with the sites began to occur on DownDetector at around 5.45pm today, across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Most people had problems with the app, website or server connection meaning some were unable to use them properly.
Many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share they were facing problems with the sites.
everyone on their way to twitter because facebook & instagram is down.. #facebookdown #instagramdown pic.twitter.com/NmDslagegv
— rookiua (@rookiua) December 11, 2024
One wrote: "Facebook is down, so naturally, everyone’s flocking to Twitter to confirm it’s not just them. Classic."
Another posted: "Everybody coming to see if Instagram is down. Yea you not the only one".
A third shared: "Yes, it’s not just you. WhatsApp is down globally!".
The issue appeared to be impacting apps owned by Meta, which they confirmed in a post on X.
We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.
— Meta (@Meta) December 11, 2024
They wrote: "We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience."
What is Downdetector?
Downdetector is an online website that allows users of popular services including X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, Virgin Media and more to report if they are having trouble with the services.
The site only reports an incident when the number of problem reports is significantly higher than the typical volume for that time of day.
Describing itself on its website, Downdetector is “where people go when services don’t work.”
The website monitors disruptions to various key services including the internet, web hosting platforms, banks, social media and more.
You can see the full methodology and learn more about how Downdetector collects status information and detects problems via its website.
In short, users can get involved by submitting any issue reports on the platform.
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Problem indicators are also collected from social media and other factors on the web, Downdetector explained.
These reports are then validated and analysed in real time.
An incident is then detected if the number of reports is significantly higher than the typical average for that particular service.
When a user goes to investigate the issue, they can see what the most reported problems are currently and check if their areas are in one of the outage hotspots.
Do you use Downdetector? Let us know in the comments.
